


And the Walls Came Tumbling Down

by snowstormjonerys



Category: The Walking Dead (TV), bethyl - Fandom
Genre: F/M, bethyl
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-21
Updated: 2014-12-28
Packaged: 2018-02-18 05:19:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 111,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2336645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowstormjonerys/pseuds/snowstormjonerys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Beth and Daryl have fled the prison and have been on their own for 2 months now. Unsure of the future, they are forging ahead. They meet Lucky, a straggly looking mutt that wins their hearts. Can they build a life together despite the fact that it seems hopeless. Lots of angst just like we like for our favorite couple. Rated M for eventual smut.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Beth looked at Daryl sitting there eating the jelly with a spoon. At least he wasn't using his fingers this time, she thought to herself. "What changed your mind?" she asked him, smiling. She had been trying to convince him for two days that there were still good people in the world. But when he told her that he wanted to stay there, her heart nearly stopped beating inside her chest. She wasn't sure what he was asking but her heart knew what she wanted him to say. That he wanted to stay there. With her. Just the two of them. But then she thought she imagined it. A silly school girl crush; that's all this was.

He looked at her for a moment, his eyes just boring into her. He almost seemed like he wanted to say something and then stopped himself and then shrugged his shoulders, humming noncommittally "I dunno".

Beth mimicked him then saying "Don't" . She tilted her head to look at him. He sure was really concentrating all his efforts on eating that jelly. Until he wasn't. And he was looking right at her. His eyes that spoke a thousand words that his lips never uttered. They told her everything that she needed to know. She changed his mind and the realization hit her so starkly that she just said "Oh" and nothing else. She wasn't sure what he was trying to tell her but it sure seemed to her that there was some double meaning behind his stare. Before she even had a chance to respond, the cans rattled on the front porch and Daryl put the jar of jelly down.

"I'ma give that mutt one more chance" he muttered, getting up. Daryl walked out of the kitchen the door shutting behind him. Damn he had really gone and done it now. He wondered what she thought of him. When she had asked "what changed your mind?", a million thoughts had raced through his mind all at once. Because she had changed his mind. Beth, sitting there smiling at him, her happiness infectious and her smiles contagious. Beth smiling at him made him want to smile. And Daryl did not smile. At least not lately. But this girl with her angelic face, soft blonde hair that perpetually smelled like strawberries and a fresh summer rain, she had changed his mind on his outlook on life. Because she was good. She represented everything good in the world; his world at least. And in the months since they had left the prison that is what she had become. His whole world. Sometimes at night, when she lay across from him on her own pallet, wherever they made camp for the night, he thought about what it would have been like if they hadn't escaped together but no matter how hard he tried, he just pictured the two of them running together for all those hours. Sometimes during their run from the prison that fateful day the Governor and his men had attacked, it had felt like years they had run.

The first few days had been rough. Beth had cried nearly all the time and he hadn't known what to do. But gradually over the past few weeks, they had settled into a comfortable pattern. If she cried, he held her, just letting her get it all out. He never said anything. Just opened his arms and she came into them willingly. Sometimes she fell asleep that way and he pull her away and tuck her in and then go lie down in his own space, his arms feeling strangely empty. It had begun to work on him in a way that he tried not to think on too much. She was beautiful to be sure but Daryl didn't even know if that was something he was allowed to think. How pretty she was and how his heart nearly broke every time she got that look on her face when she was remembering her dad. It had been an awful thing the way her dad died. He had thought a lot of Hershel. He was a good man, just like his daughter was a good woman. Wasn't any other way she could have turned out being raised by Hershel Greene. He had deserved a much better way to pass from this world than at the hands of a madman. But they didn't get to choose in this life, the way they left it.

Beth sighed in frustration. Literally saved by the bell. Well by a bunch of cans anyway. When he had been looking at her, it was almost as if he was trying to tell her something. He had been acting so sweet the past day or so. It had started with the piggyback ride, which was fun and spontaneous, even though it was necessary with her bum ankle. It still ached something awful where the trap had caught it but it was getting better each day.

She rubbed at it absently under the table, looking up in surprise as Daryl opened the door to the kitchen and peeked around the corner, beckoning her to join him in the entryway with a crook of his finger. She got up and hobbled in to where he stood with the most pitiful looking excuse for a dog she had ever seen. It looked like it used to be white at one time but now it was dirty grey and white mixed with the fur snarled into heavy mats. It only had one eye and the fur covered most of the other one. She wondered how the poor thing had made it this far in their apocalyptic world and her heart broke a little thinking about all the horrors it had probably seen, its owner most likely dead.

She moved closer to the dog where Daryl was feeding it the pigs feet and she wrinkled her nose in disgust. "So gross" She whispered.

"You ever tried 'em?" Remarked Daryl as he reached up with one hand to pet the dog on the head and for now the mutt was letting him. Had on a collar and Daryl reached for it even as he felt the dog withdraw from him. He fished another pig's foot out of the jar and held his hand out for the dog. It was surprisingly gentle as it picked the treat from Daryl's hand. Daryl took that opportunity to read the collar. "Lucky" Daryl read the attached tag aloud and had to laugh.

"No, don't have to." She said, finally answering him, rather enjoying watching him with the dog. It reminded her somewhat of how he had been so careful of baby Judith. Brought out another side to him. "They look and sound disgusting enough that I know I would hate 'em". She whispered again. She wasn't sure why they were whispering except that the dog was kind of skittish, although he seemed to be enjoying the pig's feet. Beth knelt where Daryl was crouched down petting the dog and she extended her hand to him. "Lucky, huh?" Beth crooned and the dog actually looked up and licked her hand.

"He likes you" Daryl commented sitting down in the entryway and Beth sat down too. It struck Beth as odd all the sudden. Here they were sitting in a funeral home, petting a dog that wasn't theirs. It all seemed a little domestic.

"Can we keep him?" Beth looked up him. Daryl looked down at her hopeful expression, her face lit up with that smile. That damn smile that was his undoing every time.

"I dunno". He said as he wiped his fingers clean of the pig's feet on the pants leg of his jeans. His noncommittal answer reminded Beth of the conversation in the kitchen. One that she was dying to finish but she didn't know how to go about bringing it up again or if she was even supposed to. It kind of felt like the moment had passed now.

"I guess we can keep him for tonight. Poor mutt probably hasn't slept inside somewhere warm since the turn". He remarked. Daryl had been sleeping in the chair in the only bedroom in the place. He gave Beth the bed; had insisted upon it as it was only proper. He may not have been raised to be a southern gentleman but he had manners and aimed to use them.

Beth pulled out some of the jerky out of her pocket she had found lurking in behind the cabinet in the kitchen. Maybe they could lure the dog upstairs. She stifled a yawn. She was hoping to coax him to follow them. She tore off a little piece and gave it to him. He eagerly swallowed it, never stopping to chew it and Beth smiled.

"We better go get some shut-eye. We have to get some supplies tomorrow". Daryl got up from the floor and helped Beth to stand up. Her ankle was still a little tender but she could walk on it some now. Still he put an arm around her so they could get up the steps. She probably could have managed on her own but God help him, Daryl just wanted to touch her. He found that he kept looking for reasons to touch her and it puzzled him. He wasn't a touchy feely kind of guy, never had been. The piggyback ride had been out of necessity and that one had nearly backfired on him. With her pressed up so tightly against his back side, he had been unable to get the thought out of his head of what it might feel like if she had those same parts pressed up the front side of him. He had gotten painfully hard like a damn teenager and hoped like hell Beth couldn't see the effect she had on him. He had felt like the worst pervert after that and had vowed to keep his distance but every time she smiled his way, he was lost again and he found himself reaching out to touch her shoulder or her arm, just wanting to duplicate the way he felt when he touched her.

He had been so excited when they found all the food, he had fixed up their "redneck brunch" and laid it out on the table. She had still be hobbling a little and rather than wait for her to find his surprise waiting for her, he had scooped her up and carried her into the kitchen. He still couldn't believe he had done that. His words to Beth and Zach that day at the prison were coming back to haunt him. "Like a damn romance novel."

They finally reached the bedroom, Lucky trotting along on their heels. Beth went over to lie on the bed and he went to sit in his chair, his body tired and aching. He hadn't slept much the night before. Every time he woke up, he would glance over in the candlelight to make sure Beth was safe and sound and he got mesmerized by her sleeping form. It was maddening.

Lucky trotted over to Beth and she laughed. She did have the beef jerky, she mused. She held out the last bit to him and he chomped it down happily and looked up at her expectantly. "That's all I got, boy". She affectionately rubbed his head and looked to Daryl. "He liked the jerky, I guess".

Daryl frowned. "Damn dog, that was my jerky". But he wasn't mad. And Beth knew it. He just liked to pretend he was all gruff. But she knew different now. She had seen more sides to Daryl than she had ever thought was possible. Like the time at the cabin before they had burned it down. The sight of this big strong hulk of a man crying in her arms had been disarming. A soft spot in her heart had opened up for him then and there and she hadn't looked at him the same way since. Not in a "oh you cried so you must be weak" kind of way, but in a way that Beth knew that there was so much more beneath the surface of Daryl Dixon. You just had to chip away at it to find out.

She guessed she had spurred on the conversation about there still being good people because she knew that somewhere in there, for all his gruffness and rough demeanor, he was an old softie. She missed her family and wanted them back desperately but she knew that if they hadn't gotten out together, she might have never seen that side of Daryl.

Lucky trotted back over to Daryl who had just gotten himself comfortable in the chair and had his eyes closed. Lucky licked his hand, looking up at him and barked lightly, just a slight "ruff" before wagging his tail. Daryl chuckled. "Whatsa matter boy? You can't be hungry. You damn near ate a whole jar of pigs feet and my jerky to boot". He said roughly and then watched as Lucky walked back over to the bed where Beth was stretched out facing the chair.

Beth extended her hand to the dog and pet his head, his tail wagging all the while. "I think he's trying to tell us somethin'" Beth remarked as she sat up in the bed.

Lucky walked back over to Daryl and nudged his hand. Daryl looked at Beth, clearly puzzled. "Yeah, I dunno. Wonder if he needs to go out." He was thinking he was going to regret the decision they made to keep the dog, if even for the night.

The dog walked back over to Beth and realization dawned on Beth. "He wants to be near both of us. That's why he is pacing back and forth". She marveled at the dog. It was almost like he had read her mind. She had been trying to get Daryl to sleep beside her in the bed for days but he wouldn't hear of it.

Daryl sat up, disbelief washing over his face. Damn dog. He tried like hell every night to keep from crawling in beside Beth and just breathing in her scent. He sighed. "Fine. But this is just for tonight." He insisted as he got up and trudged over to the bed. Beth scooted over to make room for him and Lucky.

Letting out a little "ruff", Lucky hopped up on the bed and settled himself at the very foot of it, leaving Beth and Daryl to look on in wonder. That dog was smart, Daryl would give him that.

"Looks like he wants us to both be near him. Poor guy" Beth stroked the dogs fur, feeling the mats and tangles in it. She wished they could give him a bath. He sorely needed it, but she supposed it would have to wait.

Daryl snorted derisively. "Yeah, looks like." Damn dog anyway. He had worked hard to maintain his distance from Beth. It helped to keep him from the thousands of thoughts that invaded his space when she was near. Like there wasn't enough room in his brain for everything he thought about when she was close by. He curled on his side, facing the door and away from Beth.

Beth smiled down at Daryl. He looked downright annoyed and she didn't know why but it amused her. He was hovered on the edge of the bed. One wrong turn or if he even sneezed, he'd be on the floor. Beth wasn't able to quite suppress the giggle that sprang forth from her lips.

Daryl turned his head to look at her. "What's so funny?" He demanded.

"Nothin'. Just think it's funny that we been fighting about you sleeping here too for days and it took Lucky to get you over here." Daryl hummed. She sure did look pleased with the situation; almost as if she was gloating.

"Didn't peg you for an "I told you so" kind of girl." He remarked before turning back over.

"I'm not" she said. And she wasn't. But it sure felt good to have him lying on the other side of the bed. Like the closer he was to her, the safer she would be. Silly, she knew. They weren't guaranteed another breath in this cold world turned colder, but Daryl made her feel safe. She sighed and closed her eyes, watching his back as he relaxed into sleep.

Daryl turned back over, all at once comfortable and feeling like he was going to climb out of his own skin at the same time, feeling Beth's presence behind him. He tried closing his eyes but kept imagining himself turning over in the bed and taking her in his arms..…He didn't finish the thought and plumped up the pillow under his head trying to get comfortable. Yeah, it was going to be a long fucking night.


	2. Chapter 2

Daryl woke up the next morning with the first grey light of dawn starting to come through the boarded up window where they were sleeping. At some time in the night, Beth had moved her way over to where he lay and had her arm draped over his stomach and her head resting against his bicep. He tried very hard not to move as he watched her sleeping form. Her hair was fanned out across his arm and the pillow behind her head, the blonde tresses giving off that cloying Beth scent.

Beth's breathing was deep and even and he tried very hard not to breathe as he was facing quite a predicament, the kind that guys often woke up with. It was a medical mystery to Daryl and he knew there was no way he was going to be able to extract his arm from behind her head without waking her.

He looked down at the foot of the bed and sure enough Lucky was still there and glanced up at him, his head resting on his paws, to see if it was time to rise. When Daryl didn't move, he put his head back down with a little harrumph and closed his eyes again. Thanks for the help, dog, thought Daryl sourly. It was his fault he was in this position in the first place. Damn dog, coaxing the two of them into sleeping in the same bed. It wasn't going to happen tonight that was for sure.

Daryl wiggled his fingers and found that he was also suffering from "dead arm" and the pins and needles sensation was starting in his fingers. He was left with only one choice; he reached down and quickly flipped the blanket that he had kicked off in the night over his mid section to hopefully camouflage his dire situation. Just as he suspected, when he moved the blanket she stirred beside him, her back arching in the bed, much like a cat stretching its spine. Her eyelids fluttered open and she peered up at him, bright blue eyes puzzled for a moment.

Beth woke up with the sensation that she was safe and it struck her that she hadn't felt that way since the prison. She was laying on Daryl's arm and was curled into his side. She smiled up at him and mumbled "Good mornin'."

"'Mornin'" he muttered. He seemed to be perturbed by something. Beth hoped she hadn't done anything embarrassing in her sleep, like snore, or worse. Her face heated at the thought and she moved to straighten out her clothes. She and Daryl had gotten used to sleeping in their clothes. There had been too many nights when they had had to sleep out in the open. Pajamas just didn't make sense when you were on the run from the living dead, she thought. She sat up and pulled her hair back from her face, searching with her fingers around the bed, trying to find the hair band she had gone to sleep with finally finding it and securing her hair back in its requisite ponytail.

Beth held out her hand to Lucky who came up to greet her happily, licking her hand and then her face as he decided that since his new owners were up, he would get up too. Beth giggled and ruffled his fur. "And good mornin' to you Lucky", she said affectionately and smiled in Daryl's direction.

He smiled back tightly and took that opportunity to get up from his spot on the bed. He turned away from Beth arranging his pants over the obvious bulge. "I'll be right back. " He muttered, hoping she didn't ask where he was going. But she didn't. He whistled to Lucky and grabbed his crossbow off the floor by the bed.

Daryl walked down the stairs, feeling a little better now that he had put some distance between himself and Beth. He checked out the window of the front door to make sure they hadn't been overrun by walkers overnight and was satisfied to see that there was nothing around, just a few stragglers and if he and Lucky were quiet they might get left alone while they took care of business.

He was surprised to see that Lucky was very stealthy in moving about in the falling leaves. He moved with the practiced art of stealth. The air had a crisp feeling to it this morning. He figured they would probably have their first freeze pretty soon with autumn on its heels soon after. The problem with Georgia was the autumn could blend into winter seamlessly in a matter of days. Seasons were never predictable in the south. But once it turned cold, it generally stayed that way until spring.

As he and Lucky finished up he headed back into the house. He had been serious about going on a run today to find supplies. He figured they would head up the road a ways and see if there was a neighboring town to get some stuff. It was practically going to be a solo mission with Beth's foot still a little tender, but he wasn't willing to leave her behind.

By the time he entered the house again, Beth had fixed a simple breakfast of peaches and baked beans. It wasn't much as far as meals went but it beat the hell out of squirrel meat. Again. Don't get him wrong, he wasn't complaining. Squirrel meat was just as good as anything else when beggars couldn't be choosers but they had been alternately eating squirrel and rabbit meat almost every single day since the prison was attacked. Daryl was used to this kind of living, it was how he had grown up. He wondered briefly what Beth thought of their daily cuisine. Being raised on a farm, he was sure she was no stranger to wild game, but she struck him as the cheeseburger and pizza kind of girl. Maybe it was because she was so damn young.

Thinking of her age brought his thoughts full circle to how he had woken up beside her this morning and how his body had responded to being that close to her. He knew she had turned 19 recently and she sure as hell wasn't like any other 19 year old he had ever known, not even when he himself had been 19. She was mature for her age but there was still a certain innocence about her that had gone untainted despite the world they lived in now. It was refreshing at the same time it made Daryl cringe that he was having the thoughts he was having about her. Cause damn him to hell, he couldn't get the thought of her in his arms this morning out of his head. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and pushed all notions of being with Beth aside as he dug into the meal she had prepared for them in earnest.

"We need to find some food today. We are running out of some stuff. I feel bad that no one has been back to this house. What do you think happened to the person who lived here?" Beth asked him, her expression quizzical as she stabbed her fork through a small bite of peach and eased it into her mouth.

"I dunno. Maybe they went out and got overrun. Could be any number of things." Daryl mused as he finished his breakfast quickly and waited for Beth to get done.

Lucky looked up from his breakfast of pig's feet expectantly. Beth rubbed his head and the dog just panted at them. Lucky bastard thought Daryl as he watched Beth stroke the animal's fur. He felt ridiculous being jealous of a dog.

"We better get a move on if we're gonna make it back any time soon." He suggested and they both rose, Lucky following closely on their heels. They went around to the back door where they had parked the SUV and checked to make sure there were no walkers ambling about. There were two around the SUV and Daryl quickly fired off two bolts to take them down, retrieving the bolts before he got into the driver's seat.

"Can I drive?" Beth asked as Lucky jumped into the seat between them.

Daryl snorted. "Not likely cupcake". He said with a smirk.

Beth's face turned red at the rebuttal and placed her hands in her lap. "Why not?" she asked him simply. There was no heat in her words, she just genuinely wanted to know why.

"It's better if I drive, you don't know where we are goin'." He told her in a tone that left no room for argument.

They pulled out of the drive and Daryl set out down the road that he figured led to the next town. They drove in companionable silence and Beth cracked the window for Lucky who evidently wanted to see the sights, his nose pressed up against the glass and leaving prints all over it. Beth had to giggle. Daryl looked over at her to see what was so funny and saw that the dog was all over her, getting fur everywhere.

Daryl smiled. "Damn dog stinks. He needs a bath". He remarked.

"We all need a bath". Beth wrinkled her nose. She couldn't remember the last time she had gotten a shower and it sure would be nice to clean up.

A few minutes later they passed a small lake on their left, surrounded by a field on all sides. "Daryl, can we stop here on the way back and maybe clean up a little. We could bathe Lucky too." She offered.

Daryl glanced in the rearview as they passed the body of water and he grunted. "Yeah I guess." He said.

An hour later, they pulled up in front of a Stop N Save grocery store on the outskirts of a small town. Daryl really hated going into higher populated areas. Towns meant more walkers and it was always a risk, however this couldn't be helped. His plan when they got there was for Beth to stay in the vehicle and he would go and clear out what walkers he could and scavenge for supplies.

He instructed Beth to get in the driver's seat. It would make for a quicker getaway just in case.

"I thought you said I couldn't drive". She said saucily, smiling at him.

Little minx, he thought, using his words against him but then his expression turned serious. "Well this is the exception. If I am not back out in fifteen minutes, don't come find me. He handed her his pistol. She had her own but he wanted to make doubly sure that she was protected. Lucky made a move to exit the car with Daryl but he shook his head at the mutt. "You stay with Beth". He told the dog. For a minute he felt ridiculous talking to an animal but Lucky seemed to understand what he was saying and sighed before slumping back against the passenger seat.

Beth had moved to the driver's seat. He gripped both her shoulders, needing her to understand the gravity of the situation. "I'm serious Beth, if you get overrun or I am not back in fifteen you leave. If we get separated, we can meet back here later after its cleared." Beth nodded at him solemnly. She was scared but she knew she had to listen to Daryl if they were both going to survive. He released her shoulders and let his hands drop to his sides. He felt like something was called for, like hugging her goodbye but Daryl was no good at that touchy feely shit. Besides he remembered their conversation that night at the prison after he had lost Zach. She had said she was glad she didn't say goodbye and she hated saying goodbye. He had agreed at the time and he felt no different now.

He strengthened his resolve and closed the door, sending one last glance in her direction. Whether it was to silently communicate to her one more time or to take one last look at her in case he never saw her again, he wasn't sure but as he walked into the store, his heart felt strangely heavy. He was glad she had Lucky. At least if he died in here, she wouldn't be completely alone.

He banged on the door as he walked in and waited to see if any walkers were going to come out from their lurking spaces. He heard the death growls before he saw them; five walkers coming towards the sound he had made. He fired off two bolts, one in each of the first two walkers, watching them drop like flies. He fired two more and swore as he missed one of them, it having fallen over the bodies of the first two walkers. He walked over to it and stomped it on the head and retrieved his bolts from the heads of the ones he had put down. Still two to go and they were gaining fast.

All of the sudden the back double doors opened and at least ten more came out coming at him from all directions. He tried not to panic and stayed alert, taking down the closest ones first. He pulled his knife from the sheath and gripped the hilt as he plunged it into the eye socket of one walker, hearing and feeling the sickening gush of walker brain all over the knife as it spread over his hand. He extracted the knife from the walker's head and watched it drop and dispensed with two more with rapid fire of his crossbow. He circled back around the shelves trying to draw them away and split them up somewhat. One surprised him from the cereal aisle and several boxes of Cheerios fell down with the walker who was scrambling after him, its jaw hanging off at an odd angle, its claws reaching for him. He went to fire off another bolt and to his horror, his bow was jammed.

Outside Beth was ticking away the time. He had said to leave in fifteen minutes and she tried very hard not to think of it as a possibility. She didn't know if she would have the strength to leave Daryl there if it really came down to it. She didn't know how much time had passed but it sure felt like more than fifteen minutes. Just then she heard a shot from inside the store. Suddenly the walkers who had largely been ignoring Beth started to shuffle towards the SUV. Lucky let out a low warning growl and Beth wondered if a walker was what had taken out Lucky's eye. He was sure to have gotten into more than a scuffle or two with walkers since the turn. A feeling of dread spread through her, gathering like fire in her stomach. Daryl hardly ever resorted to using a pistol in hand-to-hand walker combat. Something must have gone terribly wrong for him to fire his gun. Beth got her gun out, resolving to go help him out if she needed to. She rubbed her ankle absently, hoping it would hold up if she needed to run. She didn't care what Daryl had said; she would not leave him. He wouldn't leave her. She knew it in her heart and she wasn't about to do the same to him.

She didn't know when she had started crying but the tears were streaming down her face and they made her angry. She didn't know why they always came at the most inopportune times. Sometimes it was really inconvenient to be a girl, she thought. But she couldn't help it; she was terrified. What if Daryl died? She didn't know if she could go on in this world without him. As if sensing her fear, Lucky whimpered beside her and licked her hand. She pet him absently, watching the door for any movement or any sign of Daryl getting ready to come back out. But there was nothing. Beth jumped as she heard two more gunshots.

Making a fast decision she opened the car door quietly, not wanting to attract any more walkers to them than already were. Lucky followed her out of the car and she almost stopped him but thought better of it. He had survived this long on his own, he would probably be okay. She watched helplessly as Lucky ran head –long into the store as if beckoned by some unknown force.

Daryl was trapped and he was sure that this would be the end of him. He was trapped behind the meat counter, two walkers reaching their dead arms at him, their nails split and Daryl was glad he had worn long sleeves today despite the hot Georgia sun. It had saved his ass at least twice now as he fought what appeared to be a losing battle with the walking corpses. He had finally un-jammed the stupid thing. He strained to catch his breath, fingering the trigger on the crossbow. He had two bolts left and he meant to make them count despite the fact that the other walkers were joined by a third. It struck him as ironic and absurd all at once that he was standing in the meat department and there were living things trying to get to him for their next meal. He would have laughed if he wasn't so damn terrified.

His fear wasn't for himself. Daryl had never been afraid to die. His fear was leaving Beth alone to fend for herself and he was kicking himself right about now for trying to make a run with her bum ankle. It could have waited for another day or two and at least then they would have had a fighting chance. As one of the walkers was reaching over the counter, trying to propel itself forward, Daryl sent up a whispered apology to whoever was up there nowadays. He heard a growl and had to reconcile that with the fact that it wasn't human. He was confused until he saw Lucky charge at the walkers. They turned at the sound and he ran back the other direction. The living dead creatures followed blindly after Lucky, chasing after the source of fresh meat.

Daryl watched incredulous as the dog successfully lured the walkers away from him, allowing him a chance to escape. It was then that he spotted her, limping down the aisle that he had come from just moments ago. Beth was carefully sidestepping boxes of Cheerios and looked up to meet his eyes. He wasn't sure whether he wanted to hug her or turn her over his knee for not listening to him.

Beth made the decision for him as he walked towards her and she sped up her hobble to close the distance between them, throwing herself into his arms, which he held open. He crushed her to him, feeling her pressed up against him and for just that one moment in time, Daryl didn't give a damn about propriety and societal rules. He closed his eyes, savoring her warmth and closeness. He had really thought that he would never see her again.

He took a deep breath and pulled back to look at her but keeping his arms around her. He wasn't ready to let her go just yet. "You bit?" he asked and she shook her head furiously as tears fell from her eyes.

He pulled away then. They needed to get the hell out of dodge and fast. They scooped up items as they went, piling cereal boxes and cans of fruit and vegetables into the pack she had on her back and he in turn filled hers. She grabbed a few boxes of Band-Aids at the checkout and two candy bars. They were random items, but they both felt an urgency to put some distance between them and the town. This run had been a bad idea from the start.

Lucky came running back to them, panting and wagging his tail as he stopped at their feet. They got to the car quickly and Daryl got in and threw the crossbow in the back and put the car into drive.

When they were a safe distance away, he pulled the SUV onto the side of the road. He could hardly think straight so many thoughts were tumbling about inside his head. He turned to Beth after they were all safely back in the car, trying to control his voice as he spoke to her. "You were supposed to stay in the car." He said gruffly, his eyes boring into hers.

Beth wiped at her tears furiously. "I know but I heard the shots. I just couldn't leave you Daryl." She looked at him, her eyes pleading with him for understanding.

Daryl looked at Lucky who had gone to the backseat where Beth had made him a makeshift water bowl out of bucket they had found at the funeral home. "Damn mutt saved my life" He remarked. "I s'pose he came in with you". He asked her.

"Yeah, he ran into the store before I could stop him". She looked in wonder at the dog. He was so fearless and he had shown such loyalty today, even though they had only known him such a short time.

"You should have seen him Daryl. He was going to save you even if it meant he didn't make it." She paused to pet Lucky on the head. She wished she had thought to get some dog bones in the store. Maybe on the next run, she thought. "He hasn't even known us that long. Don't you think that's beautiful?" She asked him.

Daryl just blinked at her, not knowing what to say. This girl with her impossible sass, witty humor, and fierce intelligence just never stopped believing, never stopped hoping. Their world had gone to shit, their home had been ripped from their hands, and they were literally running for their lives. Still, she imagined to find the beauty in the smallest things. She amazed him. She had come such a long way from the farm girl who had tried to end her own life when things had gotten really bad. There was little trace of that girl anymore, he realized. Left in her place, was a strong, beautiful, courageous woman. Daryl wasn't sure what to think about that.

Throwing caution to the wind and consequences be damned, he pulled her into his arms again feeling her sigh against his chest as she tucked her head beneath his chin. That spot she always went to when something had overwhelmed her, like it was now. Even as Daryl knew he shouldn't be feeling the things he was feeling, he couldn't seem to help himself. It was as if he was going on some inane instinct and he just wasn't sure now why he was keeping himself from her. He had forgotten what he was fighting against and he just held her in his arms. They could have stayed that way for minutes or hours, Daryl didn't know. All he knew was that he never wanted to let Beth Greene go.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Daryl pulled the car over to the side of the road and hid it behind an outcropping of rock on the other side of the small lake. They both got out, glad that there were no walkers for a change. Beth grabbed her pack with her extra change of clothes out of the back seat and she watched Daryl do the same. Lucky bounded ahead of both of them, jumping in the water with reckless abandon.

Daryl was absolutely driving her crazy. One minute he was yelling at her because she didn't listen and the next he was hugging her to him. It didn't make any sense and her stomach felt like a big jumble of butterflies; all nervous and light.

She followed him out to the water. They used their same system for going to the bathroom. One bathed and the other kept watch. Daryl decided that Beth should go first and she walked down to the water's edge silently and felt her face flush. It was ridiculous. Daryl had seen her in her bra and panties before and she had never thought anything of it. Until now. It was as if there had been some kind of seismic shift in their relationship and she couldn't quite put a finger on it. Daryl seemed to notice it too. He was unusually fidgety where he stood with his back to her. She decided to keep her underwear on while she bathed, reasoning that they needed washing anyway and it would save time. She drew a sharp intake of breath at the cold water. Despite the warm days they had been having, the nights had gotten colder and it only made sense that the water would be cooler than usual. Nonetheless, it felt like Heaven as she dipped her shoulders beneath the surface. She relished the feel of the water sluicing down her back as she dunked her head under the water scrubbing with the bar of soap she had brought out with her. She rubbed it through her hair, wishing for some shampoo, but she had left her bottle of strawberry shampoo in her other pack. She didn't get to use it often; it was considered a luxury these days having soap and shampoo.

She tried to splash as little as possible. The last thing they needed right now was a walker coming up on them unexpectedly. Beth finished quickly and moved out of the water to retrieve her other clothes. Daryl was facing away from her and she glanced at his back as he stood looking out at the horizon. It was then that she noticed the dark stain on Daryl's shoulder. There was a steady stream of blood going down the back of his pants down to the ground beneath him. Beth felt bile rise up in her throat and her heart seize with fear at what that could mean. Forgetting any recent issues with modesty she strode over to him and grabbed his shirt to lift it up.

Daryl felt Beth come at him from behind and he whirled around to face her, his hand on her wrist. "What the hell are you doin?" he demanded but Beth was unperturbed by his response.

"You're bleeding Daryl. I need to check you for bites." She told him, hands on her hips and teeth starting to chatter from her lack of clothing and the cool fall air.

Daryl stared at her incredulously. She made a sight standing there with her hands on either slim hip, just above the curve of her waist before it dipped down into legs that seemed to go forever. He knew his breath caught in his chest when his eyes traveled up her body, taking in all her curves, the wetness of the fabric and the way it clung to her skin in all the right ways. He could see the chilly fall air affecting her nipples, as they were hardened peaks beneath the light pink fabric of her bra. Daryl felt his mouth go dry and he released his grip on her wrist, before he went and did somethin' stupid. "Get a grip, Dixon", he told himself. "This is Beth. Hershel's daughter." His subconscious added that last part for effect and he worked hard to swallow, finding that he couldn't, not with her standing there in front of him like that.

"'M fine." He told her, turning away, feeling his erection straining against his zipper for the second time that day.

Beth took a step toward him. "You're not fine." She emphasized the last word and called him on his attitude. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way, Daryl Dixon, but you're going to let me take a look at your back." She was breathing evening in and out of her nose, staring at him, not willing to back down from this. This was one fight she planned to win.

"I've seen them, you know." She told him and waited for his reaction. He turned to face her again and looked up at her and met her eyes, his steely glare suddenly replaced with a pained expression. In that moment, Beth could see the years of abuse that his father had heaped upon him. She could see the little boy that had cowered in the closet, hiding out, hoping to avoid a beating for once. She could see the man he was. He was good. "When Daddy stitched you up that time. I saw them. It doesn't have to define you, Daryl." She didn't know what to say to him.

But Daryl thought she did. He looked up in surprise. "But it does". He told her. "Those scars, everybody always looks at me." He looked to her as if searching for the answer to the questions that always came at him and then that pitied stare. That "you poor sonofabitch" look. He hated that worse than he hated the scars themselves or the man that put them there.

"They are a part of you Daryl. But it doesn't have to be who you are." She told him and he wondered how in the hell this woman had gotten to be so wise in her 19 years on earth and it taken Daryl a lifetime to be able to talk to someone about what happened to him. He had told Beth things that he had never told anyone, not even Merle. And that was somethin'.

Beth approached him again and moved to unbutton his shirt, but he stilled her hand. "I'll do it." He couldn't have her undressing him. It was too much given that she was standing there in not much more than her own skin. "Can you uhm…." He let his eyes drift to the ground again, hoping she caught his meaning because he sure as hell didn't want to say it out loud.

Beth glanced down to see what he was so flustered about and then realized that not much was being left to the imagination right now. Her skin erupted in a flush that made her think she didn't need clothes after all, but she hastened to don a pair of jeans and shirt before slipping her boots back on. By the time she finished dressing, Daryl had stripped down to his boxers and was standing with his back to her.

She walked over to him to inspect him for bites, dreading what she might find. The thoughts of having to put Daryl down, well. She simply wouldn't be able to do it. Not Daryl; anyone but Daryl. It was just too awful to think about.

She ran her fingers lightly over the hardness of his back, feeling him tense up. She felt for what her eyes might miss, but she missed nothing. "You're not bit but you have a nasty gash back here."

Daryl felt her fingers before she even touched him. Despite the cool air and cold water, her hands were very warm and her delicate fingers felt good on his skin. He was working hard on his breathing, trying not to react to the softness of her hands on his back. He could feel her eyes boring into him and for the first time in his life, Daryl wasn't ashamed of his scars. He could let Beth see him. All of him. And just this knowledge alone scared the hell out of him. But he didn't care. He knew he felt something for her. He had tried to tell her as much the night before in the kitchen. But then they had gotten interrupted by Lucky and maybe that was for the best. Maybe they weren't ready to have that conversation yet. Maybe they never would be. This made Daryl sad in ways he could not understand. It wasn't like he thought he could be with her. He just wanted her to know how much he cared for her and how much she had changed him. For the better.

She finished inspecting his back and touched the spot right underneath his shoulder blade and he winced. "Sorry" she muttered. "It's going to need to be cleaned up."

"Okay. Just let me wash up real quick." He said walking down to the water, looking forward to the brutal cold of the water, feeling like he needed a cold shower at this point anyway.

Lucky 's ears perked up and growled from where he was standing at the water's edge, alternately drinking it and playing in it. Beth turned to look in the direction he was growling and saw the walkers coming down the hill towards the lake.

"Daryl, there's walkers comin'." Beth's voice came to him right as he was rinsing off. He hurriedly got out of the water and didn't bother to put his clothes back on knowing it would take too much time pulling dry clothes over a wet body. Beth grabbed everything and hobbled back to the SUV and Daryl got in the driver's seat and threw the vehicle into drive. Wasn't the greatest situation to be driving around in nothing but his underwear, but it couldn't be helped, desperate times and all that.

They drove silently the way back to the funeral home. Daryl was uncomfortable as hell. Not only did he not have pants, but he wasn't wearing shoes and he was starting to get cold despite the sun streaming through the windows of the vehicle. He looked at Beth out of the corner of his eye and he could swear that she was trying to suppress laughter. He looked in her direction. "What's so funny?" he looked at her, and she met his eyes, hers dancing with unconcealed laughter at the situation.

Unable to stop herself, Beth let loose with peals of laughter and had tears streaming down her face. Daryl laughed too, real honest to God laughter, the kind that doubled you over and you couldn't breathe for a few moments. Because of the ridiculousness of the situation.

"'M sure I make a sight, huh?" he remarked and Beth just helplessly giggled and nodded her head, unable to catch her breath.

Finally their laughter died down. It had been a hell of a day so far, thought Daryl. Attacked by walkers, making a run from the store, and then chased off during their bath by more walkers, peppered by awkward moments in between. Yeah, hell of a day, and it wasn't even over yet.

They got back to the funeral home and Daryl went in ahead of Beth and checked everything out. The owner still appeared to have not returned. Lucky went with him and damn dog went straight for the kitchen and laid under the kitchen table like that's where he belonged.

He wondered what had happened to the owners and wondered if this was perhaps their dog. On the other hand, he was kind of glad they hadn't come back. He was rather enjoying his time alone with Beth now. He hadn't felt that way when they had first left the prison though. When they had been separated from the rest of the group, he had been anything but pleased to find that it was just him and Beth. It wasn't that he didn't like her, it's just that she had cried for nearly the entire first week. And Daryl didn't know any more what to do with a crying female than the man in the moon.

But now, things were different. He didn't know at what point he had started looking at Beth in a different light. He supposed if he had to put a finger to it, it was probably at the moonshine cabin. When she had come up and hugged him from behind after their big argument. He had never had anyone hug him like that before. Never had anyone care as much as she did. Then when she had suggested that they burn it down, he had just looked at her and wanted so badly for there to be less distance between them as they sat on that porch. So he could kiss her. There, he had said it. He wanted to kiss Beth Greene. Wanted it like he wanted to wake up in the morning.

Daryl re-emerged from the house, dressed completely and Beth smiled at him thinking someday they would laugh about all this. She followed him back into the house, carrying their treasures as they went.

"Don't think I forgot about your shoulder. We need to clean it." She informed him prissily. "Go sit at the kitchen table. I'll be there in a minute".

Daryl stared after her. Bossy little thing when she wanted to be, he thought. But he complied and went to sit in the kitchen, pulling out a chair to face it backwards and he sat astride it. He unbuttoned his shirt and swore as it felt like more skin was being ripped from his shoulder along with the material. Probably had been a bad idea to put another shirt on before it was bandaged up, but covering his back was such second nature, he didn't give it a second thought.

Beth came in the kitchen, carrying another smaller backpack, the one they had reserved for medical supplies, and sat it down on the table.

She pulled out gauze from the backpack and set to work on cleaning up the edges of the wound. She poured peroxide over the gauze, letting it bubble up on the surface of the cut. She dug through the pack again until she came up with the tube of antibiotic ointment and spread a thin layer over the wound, noticing that it was still weeping a little. She applied fresh gauze and taped up the sides. She stood back and admired her handiwork. "Good as new" she remarked as she put away all her supplies.

Daryl shrugged his arms back down in the sleeves and went to work on buttoning the flannel back up. She came around to stand before him and leaned down, pressing her lips to his cheek. "Thank you" she whispered.

"What for?" He asked her gruffly, not quite trusting his voice with her lips that close to his ear.

"For staying with me." She told him. "I don't want to be alone." She finished, standing back up.

He looked up at her in surprise. "I'd never leave you Beth". He told her simply, gazing up at her from beneath half hooded eyes and through the hair that fell over them.

"I know." She smiled sweetly at him, her face bright as sunshine just like always. "I just thought it'd be nice to tell you thanks." She said as she walked away.

Daryl stared after her, thinking there was much more to Beth Greene than met the eye. Lucky looked up at him from his place under the table and let out a little bark. "I know dude. Tell me about it." It was as if the dog was reading his mind.

He could hear the tinkling keys of the piano in the next room and Beth's sultry voice carried through the hallway. He followed the sound of her voice, remembering their first night there when she had sang for him and he laid in that infernal coffin. She didn't know it but he had had nightmares that first night sleeping in the damn thing. It's why he had moved upstairs to the chair in the room where she slept. He had closed the coffin up the next morning and hauled it from its place at the front of the parlor and hefted it outside. Now he just stretched out on several of the chairs set up facing the front of the parlor. He faced Beth listening to her as her fingers played out a melody and her voice sang along.

"And we'll buy a beer to shotgun.

And we'll lay in the lawn.

And we'll be good."

It was the song she had sang that first night. He loved to hear her sing. She had a voice like warm honey when she was singing and the chords had a way of working their way under your skin and seeping down into your bones like a thick blanket.

"And I hear

The slow in your speech

Yeah you're half asleep.

Say goodnight".

"So we,

Will drink beer all day

And our guards will give way.

And we'll be good."

She finished playing the song and turned to face him. "How's your shoulder?" It had been a few hours since she had patched it up.

"Not too bad." He remarked. "Where'd you learn to play like that?" He asked her.

She looked up at him surprised. No one usually asked questions about her like that. "Mama taught me. Daddy too sometimes, although he didn't have as much patience as mama did with teaching me the chords." She smiled at the memory.

"Hard to imagine Hershel being impatient with anyone," He said thoughtfully, chewing on his thumbnail.

"Yeah, that's cause you didn't see him trying to teach me. He always said I was stubborn. Had to do things my own way. Daddy always said the world better watch out once I set my mind to somethin'". She remembered her dad fondly and it did not escape her attention that this was the first time she had mentioned him and didn't break down in tears.

Daryl noticed it too. He nodded thoughtfully. "Your Dad was a good man." He remarked.

She nodded back at him. "Daryl?" She over at him, her expression uncertain with the question she was about to ask him. But she had to know.

"Mmm?" he looked to her, wondering what was on her mind. Sometimes it was hard to tell, sometimes it was written all over her face. Her expression, for all he could figure out right now, was not giving away her thoughts.

"The other night in the kitchen before Lucky came in and I asked you 'What changed your mind?' What were you about to say?" she asked him, her face awash in a smile and bright like sunshine again.

And there it was. He took a deep breath, unsure of what to say. He knew what he was feeling. He just didn't know how to put it to words. But he was going to try.


	4. Chapter 4

Daryl looked at her gathering his thoughts while she waited for him to answer. She wasn't uncomfortable with the silence. It was always that way with him. He was a thinker and a listener. While he wasn't much of a talker, when he did have something to say it was usually important.

"When I was a kid, I had this teacher, Mrs. Moss. She used to bring me cookies every day. Guess she felt sorry for me cause we was poor growin' up." He chewed on his thumbnail for a minute before continuing. "I looked forward to seeing her every day. Because she was so happy and she smiled all the time. Nobody ever smiled at me like she did. At the end of the year they put us in foster care and we had to change schools. I never got to see her again. She made my day better just by being nice to me." He paused again and looked at Beth. "When you were talking about there still being good people, I found myself wonderin' if she made it after the turn. Because she was good. Like you. You're good Beth." He looked up at her, his hair hanging over his eyes hiding part of his expression.

But Beth knew that he could not hide from her. As she listened to him telling the story of his teacher, she caught a glimpse of the little boy he had been, afraid, hungry, no one with a kind word for him and it sort of broke her heart. And then when he said the last part, everything he wasn't saying was right there. She smiled at him, and reached over to lay her hand on his knee and he didn't move or flinch. He let her rest her hand there and she knew it wasn't much but Daryl Dixon was not a touchy feely guy or at least he hadn't been. It was hard to reconcile the Daryl she saw before her now to the Daryl she had met two years ago on the farm. "I don't know about that. But you're good too Daryl." He shook his head. "You are". She insisted. "You care so much about everyone that you forget to care about yourself." And it was true.

Beth knew it and Daryl knew it. "You changed my mind about there being good people. You did. And you're too damn good for someone like me". He hung his head and Beth nearly wept at his insistence that he was not good enough for her.

"Daryl, you have to let other people decide that. You can't just decide that you aren't good enough for someone. It doesn't work that way. It's up to me to decide that. You are good people Daryl." She squeezed his leg and he looked up at her and gave her a small smile.

Daryl knew he hadn't quite conveyed everything to her that he wanted to but it was enough for now. It would have to be. He wasn't quite ready to say the words that he wanted her to hear. He had never said them before. Not to anyone. But he loved Beth Greene. But loving her and doing something about it were two different things. For right now or maybe forever, he would love her from a distance. Just the fact that she was with him and they were surviving together; it was enough for Daryl. He would gladly take knowing he could keep her safe over being able to be with her in every sense of the word.

Beth leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek and he inhaled that scent that was so Beth. The one that kept him up nights, the one that filled his senses night and day. She leaned back and looked into his eyes and for once, he didn't look away. Her bright sea-blue eyes were piercing into his and it felt like she could see all the way to his soul. He wasn't sure how he felt about it, he felt raw; exposed. But for once, he felt like he was letting someone really see him. He let out the breath that he felt like he had been holding his whole life and reached up to smooth her hair back from her forehead. Beth turned her face and leaned into his palm, and he rested his hand there for just a moment before letting it drop back to his lap, where her hand still was. He laced their fingers together, savoring the feel of her soft delicate fingers beside his own hard callused ones. They could have sat there that way for minutes or hours, Daryl didn't know.

Beth watched in wonder as Daryl reached up to tenderly brush her hair behind her ear and she leaned into his hand. She wanted him to touch her suddenly. Wanted him to touch her everywhere. She wanted him. She wanted to be under him and for him to do things to her body that made her blush just thinking about it. Unconsciously she bit her lower lip, worrying the tender flesh, and thinking about what it would be like to be loved by Daryl Dixon.

"Kiss me". Beth whispered, before she lost her nerve.

Daryl looked up at her suddenly, surprise etched on his features. He had not been expecting her to say that. Hell, he was thinking it but he didn't know any more about tenderly kissing a girl than he did about telling her he loved her. Kissing had never been one of his favorite things. The girls he had been with before had never been worth the time. Beth was not that kind of girl. Beth was a girl that needed to be thoroughly kissed. He wasn't sure that there was enough time in the world to do it proper. His mouth went dry at the thought.

Throwing caution to the wind, Daryl leaned in. She was askin' him to and damn if he was going to deny her. This chance may never come again. He met her lips shyly, tentatively, his eyes closed, and he gave himself over to the sensations. She tasted so damn good, like the peaches they had at dinner. He had meant the kiss to barely be a brush of the lips, but then she parted her lips and teased the seam of his lips with her tongue. He opened his mouth and accepted her tongue even as he thrust his tongue into hers, deepening the kiss.

The thought that those romance novels were right raced through Beth's mind as Daryl kissed her like she had never been kissed before. She sighed against his lips and she was glad they were seated because she didn't know that her legs would hold her up right now. She felt desire deep in her belly and traveling lower and lower until she felt her pulse begin to throb right at the apex of her thighs.

Daryl felt her sigh against him and he almost laid her back against the chairs right then but he knew he was going to have to stop this before it went too far and they did something they would both regret. He dragged his lips away and rested his forehead against hers, willing his breathing to return to some semblance of normal.

Beth could tell his mind was waging a war with certain other parts of his body so she let it slide that he broke their kiss. She pulled back from him and smiled as she squeezed his hand. "You're a good kisser." She said honestly.

Beth was nothing, if not honest and hearing her tell him that struck him as funny and he chuckled. "That so?" He asked her.

She nodded her head solemnly. "Course I've only kissed boys before. You're a man". She said, stating the obvious.

He laughed. Girl didn't mess around, he had to give her that. She said what was on her mind. She wasn't afraid of his reaction. He loved that about her. "Yes, I am." He looked at her in wonder. "Sing something for me?"

It was a suggestion that she couldn't refuse. She turned around at the piano and Daryl laid back down across the chairs and watched her play, worrying his thumbnail in his mouth, listening to her soft sultry voice and thinking about what it was like to kiss Beth Greene. For just a moment, he pretended like she was his. And it felt good.


	5. Chapter 5

Beth worked hard to keep up with Daryl, not wanting to complain. He had set a punishing pace for their hike through the woods. They had left the funeral home three days ago, Lucky in tow. He had proved his loyalty time and time again. With him around, their senses were keener and their advantage was greater. He often warned them of impending danger before they even knew there was any.

The weather was growing colder and Daryl had said they needed to find a place for the winter. They had spent one winter on the road before and it was too risky with just the two of them. In the winter, it wasn't just the threat of walkers that could be their death, but the weather in Georgia was volatile and unpredictable this time of year. They could be looking at 80 degree temperatures one day and below freezing the next night. The afternoon light was fading fast and Beth could see her breath coming out in little puffs as they traveled.

Suddenly Daryl stopped at the crest of the hill they had just topped and she wasn't far behind him. They were deep in the mountains of Georgia now, pretty far off the beaten path. Daryl had reasoned that they should seek higher elevation as it had to be hard for the walkers to physically climb anything beyond a certain grade. While they were vicious and would rip your throat out in an instant, they were slow and stupid. That was about the only thing they had going for them so Daryl figured they'd better use any edge they had.

Daryl peered at what lay below them, deep in the valley. Nestled in between the two range of mountains was an Airstream camper off the trail of the forest they were in. He hadn't seen one of those in years. He knew the area up here, had been up here with Merle many a time. The trail led to the National Conservancy road in the Blue Ridge Mountains. They carefully hiked down the ravine, readjusting their packs to accommodate the steep grade. Beth was especially careful so she didn't turn her ankle again. It had gotten better a few days ago and while the funeral home was nice and pretty well stocked, it wouldn't do for the winter and there wasn't a whole lot that they could do to fortify the place. That's when Daryl had come up with his plan for going in the direction of the path of most resistance for the walkers. He had put his head in the mind of a walker and decided that it made the best sense to do the opposite of what it would do. It was really one of the number one rules of huntin' and trackin' when you got down to it.

Lucky bounded ahead of them and was excitedly running circles around the camper, as if knowing that this might potentially be their new home. Daryl and Beth reached the Airstream a few minutes later and it was locked, of course. Daryl searched around the wheel of the front tire and found the hidden key. He popped the lock on it and stepped inside, Beth following behind him. Lucky took off for the stream that ran between the two mountain ranges about 500 yards east of the trail.

They stared around and could not believe their eyes. They had hit the veritable jackpot. The camper was a 1970s model from the outside but the inside was all modern in a minimalist sort of way. There was a sofa that had a table that could fold down over it for meals. In looking around, cabinets lined every wall. Daryl lifted up the cushion on the sofa to find that it folded into a sofa bed. The back of the camper held a nice size bed with lots of pillows and blankets. Beth dropped her pack on the floor of the camper and ran over to the bed, jumping in the middle of the pillows, a bright smile spreading across her features and Daryl couldn't help but smile in her direction.

While Beth explored some of the lower cabinets in the bedroom, Daryl rummaged through the cabinets in the kitchen area. "Beth, you gotta see this." Daryl stated.

Beth got up from where she was laying and came to peer at the loot with Daryl. Each cabinet contained more and more of the same thing, row upon row of canned and boxed foods. There was enough there to live comfortably for at least the next four months, maybe even longer if they were careful. The next cabinet housed medical supplies and the one after that clothing; stacks and stacks of clothing and Beth groaned aloud thinking of how forward she was looking to changing into something that didn't reek of rotting flesh. The funeral home hadn't had much in the way of changes of clothes and with all the walkers they had to kill on the way here, hers and Daryl's clothes both needed to be burned at this point.

Beth bent over at the waist to look in the cabinets lining the wall of the camper. It was filled with row upon row of bottled water.

"Musta been some kind doomsday preppers place. Looks like they didn't make it or they woulda been here by now." He had seen television shows about people that prepared for Armageddon and what not. He reckoned this place qualified better than any place they had been so far since the turn. He walked to the back of the camper where there were more cabinets up above the bed and upon opening it, Daryl thought he had died and gone to redneck heaven. Lining the cabinets was row upon row of guns and ammo. He let out a low whistle of appreciation and Beth turned to look at him.

"What is it?" She had been looking through the drawers and was happy to find a deck of cards, a game of Monopoly and several books, plus a full supply of candles and even flashlights with batteries. She joined Daryl in the back of the camper and her jaw dropped open. "Holy shit!" she exclaimed as she saw all the guns and then clamped her hand over her mouth.

"Watch yer mouth, sunshine", he said but there was nothing stern in his voice to back his words. She looked over at him and giggled. The corners of his mouth were turned up just slightly.

Beth stood back and placed her hands on her hips. "Well, what do you think?" She was hoping he was going to say that this was the place for them for the winter.

Daryl thought she looked beautiful standing there. He knew she was asking him if they were gonna stay, but he couldn't resist teasing her a bit. "Yeah, you're cute. What of it?" He smirked.

Beth flushed. "Not me, silly." She stammered. "Wait, what?" She was flustered for sure. Was Daryl freaking Dixon flirting with her, she thought? Dear God, she hoped so.

Daryl tried to suppress a chuckle and cleared his throat. "Yeah I guess this will do." He said, seemingly satisfied with their new digs.

Beth nearly wept with relief but instead threw her arms around his neck and hugged him, nearly knocking him over in her exuberance.

"Geez, little bit, you're stronger than you look. All that training is payin' off I guess." He said appreciatively.

"Woops, sorry" she said sheepishly as she set her feet back on the floor. That was the thing, if she wanted to hug him, she had to stand on her tip toes, he was so tall. She liked that he was tall. She liked that he was bigger than her. She just liked him. It had been several days since he kissed her and he hadn't moved to do it again and chicken that she was, she didn't have the nerve to make a move herself. But she thought about it. She thought about it too much actually. She probably spent half her day daydreaming about their kiss and half the night trying to get it out of her head so she could sleep. Most of the time he invaded her dreams at night too, but she didn't complain.

Lucky came bounding through the open door carrying a squirrel in his teeth. They had gotten used to Lucky's comings and goings for the most part. He never strayed far, always returning at night time before sundown. Lucky came and laid the squirrel at Daryl's feet, knowing he would be pleased. Daryl rubbed his head. "It's yer catch buddy. You keep it." Daryl watched as the dog gave off his characteristic ruff and carried the squirrel back outside. Sometimes Daryl thought the damn mutt actually understood what he was sayin' to him. It was uncanny really. He was glad that the dog was around; he definitely came in handy when Daryl would go hunt. He didn't worry as much about Beth when he was gone if Lucky was there with her.

Beth went and stood at the door, watching Lucky trot off with his kill. She was surprised to see that a light snow had started to fall and she was fiercely glad that they had found the camper. Another night of sleeping on the cold hard ground and snow to boot would not have been Beth's cup of tea, especially since Daryl was refusing to sleep anywhere near her, despite Lucky's protests. He alternated sleeping at Daryl's feet and curling up beside Beth, seeming pretty unsatisfied that he hadn't been able to get Daryl to cave again. "It's snowin'," She breathed and Daryl came to stand behind her.

She could feel his breath on her neck and she involuntarily shivered. "That it is. 'S pretty."

Daryl breathed in standing at Beth's shoulder. She had her hair in that damned ponytail again with that perpetual braid in her hair. He grabbed hold of the braid and shook it lightly, finally asking what he had been dying to ask her for the past several months. "What's with the braid?"

She turned around to face him, feeling the cold air hit the backs of her legs and the snow starting to pelt against her. She smiled up at him and fingered the braid herself. "It's something Mama used to do for me. Whenever I was sad, she would offer to braid my hair. She said that if you were downtrodden and feelin' sad, if you had a braid, you could just go look in the mirror and you just couldn't be sad anymore. She was right" She said wistfully. "So when the turn came and mama got bit, I was sad. For a long time. Even after we left the farm. Then I remembered how she used to braid my hair when I was little so I just started putting the braid in. I guess now it's just a habit." She fingered the braid absently and released it. She was suddenly hyperaware of her breathing as he looked at her as she spoke.

"I like it". He said simply and pushed the braid back into the tumbling curls that surrounded it. He pushed the stray flyaways back behind her ear.

Daryl put his hands on either side of her waist and looked down at her as she tipped her face up to his. He pulled her close to him, a thumb in each belt loop on her jeans, as his lips met hers, softly, tenderly, his mouth just barely ghosting over hers until he pressed his lips more firmly into hers, her lips soft and pliant beneath his. He pulled away as she sighed against his lips. She tasted every bit as sweet as she had in that funeral home, he thought.

Beth sighed as he broke the contact and pulled away. She knew that she had missed out on a lot of experiences with the turn happening. She had missed out on prom, football games, graduation and right now she didn't care one bit. Because kissing Daryl made up for every bit of those rites of passage and then some. Kissing Daryl Dixon was the greatest thrill of her life and she could hardly wait to do it again.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

They woke up the next morning, Daryl, ever the chivalrous one, having slept on the pull out bed. Beth watched as he cracked his back forward and backward and could actually hear it from the back where her bed was. Daryl had hung up a make-shift curtain from one of the sleeping bags he found packed away under the Airstream along with several cans of gasoline. She dressed hurriedly in the cold morning air. They had a small kerosene heater and enough fuel for the winter, but it just barely knocked the chill out of the air for Beth.

Daryl seemed comfortable enough but she was about to freeze at nighttime. She grumpily wished she could convince him to sleep with her in the big bed that was much too large for just her. As if sensing her mood last night, even Lucky had abandoned her to sleep with Daryl. She walked to the front of the camper and poked her head around the curtain to look out the window . Her mouth formed a little oh and she gasped. The area was completely covered in white for as far as the eye could see. She rushed to throw open the door to get a closer look. There were two cardinals sitting in the snow and the stark red against the white was absolutely stunning.

"Daryl come look." She threw over her shoulder.

"Yeah I saw it." He came up behind her and placed his hand lightly at the small of her back. He didn't know what it was that he felt he constantly had to touch her. But there was just something about her that was magnetizing and it drew him in like the proverbial moth to a flame. Maybe the best part was that she never flinched at his touch, never jumped. She always, always leaned into his touch as if she wanted their skin to meld together wherever they were joined. And it surprised Daryl because it was exactly how he felt. Like he wanted to just blend into her, to the point where to the untrained eye no one would be able to tell where one ended and the other began. It was strange thinking that way, but Daryl just couldn't help it. He was starting to see why girls gushed over those sappy movies he never even cared to watch. If love was what made you do this, then sign him up, he guessed.

"Isn't it beautiful?" she breathed? The birds kept alighting on the snow, like they were chasing one another and it was so endearing Beth almost felt like she were inside a Disney movie. Which was ridiculous considering the current state of the world, basically hell on earth.

"Mmm-hmmm" he breathed against her hair. Beth leaned back against him, relishing the warmth of his hard body pressed against her backside. It was equal parts sweet and sexy and she tried not to think on it too hard and bit her lower lip in concentration, looking out at the snow. She suddenly had the best idea.

Daryl breathed in that familiar Beth scent, strawberries and something unnameable and he felt instantly intoxicated just being near her. He pointed out to the tree line, "rabbits are hopping all over the place. May go huntin' later". He told her. The area was strangely devoid of walkers and for that they were both glad. His reasoning had been right. They would still have to be cautious but it was nice to not have to worry as much about being overrun by a herd overnight.

Beth shivered a bit at his deep voice reverberated off her ear and the delicate skin of her neck. She loved having him this close to her and if day time was the only time he would indulge them she would play along. But she didn't want him to go hunting. "Daryl, do you want to build a snowman?" She turned around to face him, smiling up at him.

Daryl looked down at her and she had that look again, that beautiful one thousand watt smile that could probably light Heaven itself. "A snowman, huh?" He smiled at her. He shrugged his shoulders, not able to bring himself to tell her no. "Sure, why not." She beamed at him and leaned up to give him a quick kiss on the cheek and then she was off rummaging through all the drawers and cabinets.

Beth was pleased when she found a pair of ski pants and an over-sized sweatshirt and two pairs of gloves for them to wear. She hadn't built a snowman since she was a very little girl. It didn't snow to any degree that you could build a snowman in Georgia, especially not this early in the winter season. The way Beth had figured the dates it was somewhere about the beginning of December. They had been on the road for a pretty long time. As she dressed for the outdoor weather, she tried not to think too much about how they hadn't found anyone from their group yet. In fact, it struck Beth odd that they hadn't seen anyone at all since they had left the prison.

Daryl donned the gloves that Beth had laid on for him and put his leather vest on over the layers of shirts he had on. For all the snow, it didn't feel all that cold out, at least not to him. He knew Beth was about to freeze in this weather and he now was feeling slightly guilty that he hadn't given into her requests to join her in the bed. He knew she only wanted to be warm, but he just didn't know what he would do if he had to be that close to her all night long. It had been bad enough waking up the morning after they had found Lucky. He knew Beth was most likely a virgin and she probably had no idea the predicament that men could get into in the morning. The last thing he wanted to do was make her uncomfortable in any way. He was just now giving himself permission to touch her now and then. It was going to have to be baby steps for him and even then, he wasn't sure he could go through with actually making her his in every way. He knew in the way that he knew he loved her, that he didn't deserve her, not by a mile.

Beth packed the snow into a ball just like she had done for the big part of the snowman. It had taken forever but they had finally managed to get a very skinny body for the snowman they were building. The problem was that the snow was not packing in that nice uniform way that was best for snowman building. And it was much, much harder work than she remembered from when she was a little girl. She was out of breath and her hair was sticking to the back of her neck under her beanie.

She finally rolled the ball big enough to be the head. She wished they had a carrot for his nose and she hadn't been able to find anything remotely the same color or shape for it. Suddenly she remembered the two blue rocks she had found in the graveyard at the funeral home. She had gone out there often visiting the grave that had caught her attention on the way in. It reminded her of her dad and sometimes she had gone out there to talk to him.

She raced into the camper and careful not to track any snow or ice, grabbed her bag off the counter just inside the door. She quickly fished out the two blue rocks and grabbed her leather cord from her necklace for the mouth and ran back over to where Daryl was securing the head to the body.

"He looks great, now I'll just add these". She proudly held up the rocks and placed them on the canvas of the snow to make eyes, and then formed a smile for the mouth out of the leather cord. "We need a nose. Got any carrots around?" she laughed.

"Yeah, sure, let me just pull one out of my ass". Daryl joked and she giggled. He dug around in the pocket of the vest fishing for something and came up with the bright orange earplug, supposed to be for hunting and target practice. He had found them in one of the drawers and used it last night to try to tune out the snores of the damn dog who had insisted in sleeping with him. In the end, he hadn't been able to use them, still too uneasy about the possibility of walkers. Which it was a damn good thing there weren't any. It's a wonder the stupid mutt had survived this long sawing logs like he did every night.

He plopped the orange foam right in the middle of the face where the nose should be and Beth smiled brightly and clapped her hands.

"Awe, he looks like you Daryl" She remarked as she tilted her head sideways to look at the dilapidated thing. It looked like the most pitiful snowman Daryl had ever seen in his life. And he hadn't seen many, but still. It was ugly and would likely topple in the next big wind.

Beth paced back and forth in front of their creation. "He's missing something." She remarked. He watched her do this for a few seconds and then she turned to him a wicked glint in her eye.

"What?" he asked her warily. He didn't like that look she had.

"Let me have your vest." She demanded and held her hand out, her eyes twinkling.

He stared at her, dumbfounded at her request. "Scuse me. I could have sworn I heard you ask for my vest for the damn snowman." He looked at her and swear to shit, she actually batted her eyelashes at him.

"Please Daryl." She pleaded with him, smiling sweetly.

"Aw hell". He shrugged out of his leather vest, the one he liked so much, the angel wings stitched on the back of it. He couldn't believe he was letting her put his vest on a damn snowman. But he handed it to her nonetheless.

She beamed at him again and placed the vest around the snowman and he stared stupidly at it. "Damn thing looks deranged". He growled.

Beth giggled. "I think he needs one more thing". She could hardly contain her grin as she looked towards his crossbow that was lying on the ground a few feet away.

Daryl narrowed his eyes at her. "Don't even think about it girl. Ya ain't gettin' my bow." But there was no bite to his words. He could barely disguise the smirk as she laughed openly. Little minx. Damndest thing about it was he actually felt mildly guilty for not giving her the stupid bow. Daryl had found to his horror that he would do the strangest things for her, just to get her to smile his way. It was empowering and enthralling all at once. But the true reason behind all things Beth to him was that he truly wanted her to be happy. He wanted her to be happy with him. Because he was happy with her. She was enough for him. Hell, she was everything.


	7. Chapter 7

Daryl laid on the sofa bed and tried to pretend that he didn't hear Beth tossing and turning on the bed in the back of the camper. She had gotten up three times to put on another shirt or sweater and she was still shivering. He could swear that he could hear her teeth chattering from where he was. He swore softly under his breath as he turned over and tried to get comfortable. The damn dog had refused to go sleep with her again and Daryl swore if he snored again tonight, he was going to put the mutt out in the snow.

Beth drew the covers tighter around her and wished she had the nerve to ask Daryl to come and warm her up. If she wasn't so miserable, she would be thinking up ways to entice him to join her. But as it was, it was taking all her energy to stay warm as she shivered in the cold air inside the camper. The kerosene heater had played out that afternoon and Daryl had tinkered with it for a good three hours before they lost daylight.

Daryl swore again and got up abruptly from the sofa bed, Lucky perking up his ears as he did so. He trudged back to where Beth lay and looked down at her, just able to make out the smile peeking up at him just barely from under the covers. She had the blankets pulled tightly up around her and the only thing that was sticking out was her face. She had her beanie on and she looked impossibly adorable all snuggled up like that. "Move over" he said gruffly and she smiled at him softly.

"Really?" she asked excitedly. "Oh thank you Daryl. I am freezing." She remarked as she slid over and held the covers open for him to climb in beside her.

"Yeah I couldn't tell. Could hear your teeth chattering from all the way across the room." He said sarcastically. He looked back towards the sofa where Lucky stayed curled up at the end of it. He had thought the dog would follow him but he just watched him wearily, sighed and laid his head back down on his paws. "Damn mutt is worthless. Don't know why he couldn't have come keep you company." Daryl said gruffly as he laid down beside Beth and held his arms open. She didn't waste any time in snuggling close to him and laying her head on his chest, one arm draped over his middle. He tried very hard to be still and keep his breathing even, pretending to be unaffected by the close proximity of Beth. She sighed against his chest and he felt her body start to relax as she molded herself to him, seeking out any warmth she could glean from being close to him. He involuntarily smiled against her hair. After a few minutes she finally stopped shivering.

"Thank you." She whispered softly. What was he supposed to say to that? He felt like the biggest dick in the world now. Poor girl had been freezing near to death and he was letting his desire to keep her at bay win out. All she had wanted was to be warm and he had denied her that. What was the good of vowing to protect her if he let her freeze to death, he thought wryly.

"'S no problem." He grunted. "It's just for tonight." He whispered. "Gonna fix that damn heater tomorrow."

Beth knew different. She knew exactly what it had taken for him to join her in the bed. She relished the feeling of his warm body against hers. He had wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, involuntarily rubbing his hand up and down her arm in an attempt to return circulation to her freezing body. She could think of a couple other ways that he could warm her up, she thought wickedly but she would leave him be. For now. Beth knew one thing though. Now that she had gotten him to give in to sleeping in the same bed with her, she wasn't going to let him go easily. She yawned and sighed and closed her eyes, feeling herself getting sleepy now that she had some semblance of warmth.

Daryl heard the moment she fell asleep. Her body had gone completely lax in his arms and she sighed softly as she slipped off to sleep. He inhaled deeply, the scent of her hair cloying in his nostrils and he inwardly groaned as his body responded just like he knew it would.

He wished he had been able to get the damn heater working. Stupid thing had just konked out right after they had eaten a quick lunch. They had come back in seeking warmth from building the snowman, which had predictably toppled over later in the evening. Daryl had retrieved his vest and it was currently drying out on the table by the sofa. He had pocketed the two blue stones, intending to give them to her later. He still couldn't believe she had talked him into giving her his vest for the damn thing and he smiled to himself. He forced his eyes closed determining that he was going to get some sleep tonight. As he drifted off, Beth's chest rising and falling in easy slumber, he sighed against her, knowing that he had never felt so comfortable in his entire life. It felt like coming to a place where you knew nothing could ever be wrong. It felt, to Daryl, like coming home.

Daryl swore for the umpteenth hour that day and chucked the wrench across the grass where the snow was still melting from the day before. The Georgia sun had already melted most of it and the snowman, which before where it had just fallen over, now it was gone, all traces of it having disappeared in the noonday heat. The temperature had risen as the day wore on and the snow hadn't stood a chance. That was the hell of weather in the south. It truly could snow one day and all traces of it be gone the next. It could just as easily snow again tomorrow. Crazy weather patterns; the only thing you could count on was it being unpredictable. For once, Daryl was glad of the fact that they had no television because the weather guys had never gotten it right before the turn anyway. It had always gotten on his nerves.

He got up from where he had been hovering over the stupid heater, trying to get it to work. Something was jammed in the motor, he just couldn't tell what until he got that last bolt off and it was being stubborn. He walked back over to the camper and opened storage compartment, digging around until he found another tool box. His hand knocked against something hard in the dark and he reached fingers around it, a bottle and pulled it out. It was some Jim Beam whiskey. It reminded Daryl, for whatever reason, of their moonshine shack. That's what they always referred to when they thought on it. They didn't speak of it often. It almost seemed like a different time to Daryl when they burned down that shack, sending with it the ghosts and demons of his past, up with the smoke that night.

They didn't speak of it often because it reminded them both of that horrible argument they had. All the things that he had said to her. Telling her how they'd never see their family again; laying it all out there, their worst fears put into words and they had cut the air like a knife, piercing both their hearts. They had both cried that day. He wondered if Beth would be interested in another game of "I Never"; a good one this time. Something to get to know each other better. He figured they didn't have anything else better to do. He knew he would have to give her some assurances to get her to play that game with him again. He had been horrible to her. He didn't think he had ever apologized even though every look he sent her way told her "I'm sorry". He was so goddamned in love with her that he couldn't see straight sometimes. Everywhere he looked, he saw her beautiful blonde head, her bright smile, her soft lips. Better not go there right now, Dixon. He was already frustrated enough with the damn bolt on that heater. He didn't need to add sexual frustration to the mix.

He set the bottle to the side and shelved his game idea for later. He rifled through the tool box finally finding an adjustable wrench, hoping to God he could fix the damn thing this time. He didn't know if he could handle another night with Beth in his arms. He had woken up with the biggest morning wood of his life and he had damn near broken his neck trying to get up before she saw what was going on.

He worked at the wrench, getting it adjusting to the right size and let out his breath when he finally felt the bolt giving way. He put the piece of the fan aside to peer inside the motor. He pulled at the fan, trying to rotate it and it was not budging. He quickly sprayed some lube on it, making sure it spun sufficiently and reassembled the whole thing. He sat back in satisfaction after finally getting it to kick on, feeling the heat come off the grates.

Beth watched him from the window and almost swore out loud when he got the thing fired up again. Now she was going to have a heck of a time convincing him to sleep in the bed with her again. She had woken up pleasantly warm but with the strangest sensation of something hard pressing into her backside. She had been puzzled at first and had reached her hand behind her to see if Daryl had fallen asleep with his gun again. He had grabbed her wrist and propelled himself out of the bed so fast it had made her dizzy. She had been barely awake. When she saw his red face and him pulling his boots on quickly to head back outside, she had blushed, realizing his dilemma. She had an older brother for goodness sake. Growing up on a farm, even she couldn't be completely naïve about what had happened. Daryl had woken up aroused.

She tried not to think on it too much. She knew that she had been in his arms and the evidence of his arousal had been right against her backside. It gave her an odd sensation deep in her belly, similar to those times she and Jimmy had almost let things get too far when they were making out in secret behind the barn. That had been before the turn and though it was a long time ago, Beth could sense that whatever she felt now was that same sexual arousal. She could feel it thrumming in her veins and she knew then that she wanted Daryl. The way that a woman wants a man.

She moved away from the window quickly as he came back in the house, sitting on the sofa and reading the book she had found on the bookshelf. "The Notebook". She had already read it but she loved it and certainly didn't mind the repeat read. He opened the door to the camper and knocked the water off his boots before entering and removing them. They were trying to keep the inside as dry as possible since it was already warm. He reached down and hefted the heater into the camper, firing it up once he had it set up. "I fixed her. She had a jammed part in the motor 's all." He remarked as he sat down next to Beth, setting the whiskey on the table before them, glancing at her sideways.

Beth hummed her response but what had her gaze transfixed was the bottle of alcohol Daryl had surreptitiously sat down on the table in front of them. She looked up at him and he was giving her that sideways glance. He had been doing it more and more often lately, she noted. It was the same look he had given her when she had asked him "What changed your mind?" She felt that very conversation had forever changed the course of their relationship and she couldn't find herself to be sorry in the least. She would not trade one moment of her time with Daryl. They shared a special bond and a couple of kisses and she still wanted more.

"What's that for?" She asked him warily. The last time they had shared alcohol between them had been in their moonshine shack. That afternoon and evening stood out in her memory. That had really been the thing that had set them on this path they were now on. They had both opened up to one another that day and they were irrevocably changed by it.

Daryl chose his words carefully. "Thought we could maybe create a better memory." He remarked, eyeing her carefully between his overgrown bangs.

Beth reached up and pushed his hair back from his face. She loved that he didn't flinch when she touched him. Instead he seemed to kind of lean into her touch. It was hard to pull her gaze back to his eyes and pull her hand away, but she had to know what he was thinking. She tilted her head to look at him, focusing her gaze on his eyes. "That didn't turn out so well the last time". She reminded him, none too gently. That afternoon would forever burn in her memory. As horrible as it had been, it had cleared the air. Beth couldn't help but feel that explosion of feelings and pent up anger had propelled them forward from there.

He looked up at her, unable to hide behind his hair or the thin veil of disguise he kept over his eyes any longer. Not to her anyway. Once she had opened the dam on him that day at that shack, he had been helpless to stop everything else from spilling out along with it. "I thought we could play another game of 'I Never". 'Cept this time I promise not to be a dick" His mouth turned up at the corners and it reminded her so much of the way he had looked that night just before she told him they should burn it down.

She smiled then. "Sure. Why not?"

"It will give us a chance to get to know each other better." Beth remarked.

"I think we know each other pretty well already, but yeah couldn't hurt." He said with a gleam in his eye that she did not mistake. He was openly flirting with her and she blushed furiously even as her heart beat a staccato pattern in her chest, so loud that she was sure that he could hear it from where he was sitting. But if he knew of her discomfort, he didn't let on. And then he got up to retrieve a couple of glasses for them to drink out of.

He sat the glasses before them and poured them two fingers of whiskey each and setting the bottle on the table. "You go first." He gestured to her.

"No, you go first. It was your idea." Daryl grinned at her as he already had his first "I Never" picked out. 'I never been to the circus'. " He looked to her and she smiled and picked up her glass and drank. "Your turn" he gestured.

"I never lied about how big a fish I caught". She said honestly and sat back and crossed her arms over her chest.

He looked at her incredulously. Her self-satisfied look; she knew she had him. He picked up his glass and tossed his shot back and poured them each another shot. Beth giggled beside him.

"Who did you lie to?" she said.

He sat the whiskey bottle back on the table and sat back. "I lied to Merle. I was just about six years old. A lil tyke. I was afraid of the worms." He glanced at her as if to say 'You better not fuckin' laugh'. To her credit she kept a nearly straight face, her mouth turned up just a tiny bit at the corners.

It was hard to imagine Daryl afraid of anything and it amused her to no end to think of him as a little boy afraid of worms. She motioned for him to continue.

"I didn't want to let Merle know 'cause he woulda picked on me somethin' awful." She nodded at him. She knew better than most how cruel Merle had been at times. "I pretended to bait my hook and pretended to get a big fish. Merle got distracted by a girl in a bikini. He was older than me and just starting to notice girls. I threw a rock from my pocket into the water, making a splash. Then I made a big fuss about how big that fish was and that Merle should have seen it." He chuckled at the memory and looked to Beth for her reaction.

She giggled. "I bet you were cute." She said and he didn't miss the blush that crept up on her cheeks.

"When?" He asked her at the same time his brain registered what he thought she had been asking.

"When you were little Daryl. I bet you were a cute little boy." She said wistfully as she placed her hand on his, resting on his thigh.

He didn't move her hand. It fairly burned through the fabric of his jeans and he closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the sensation. "Your turn" she whispered.

They heard a sudden clawing at the door and they both jumped. Clawing on a door normally meant a walker but most likely this time meant Lucky was ready to come back from wherever he had been all afternoon. He let out a little ruff and they both sighed in relief. Beth moved her hand from Daryl's thigh as he got up to let the dog back in the camper.

Daryl sat back down beside Beth and looked at her thoughtfully. "I never been to a slumber party." He knew that was something girls often did when they were young and he was satisfied that she had to drink.

Beth picked up her glass and neatly tossed back the amber liquid, wincing as it went down. The first one hadn't been that bad. "It doesn't taste as bad as the moonshine, but it still burns". She said hoarsely and he laughed.

He sat back and looked at her. "What?" She asked him.

"This is a get to know you game, remember? You havta tell me about the slumber party." He could imagine her as a little girl with pigtails or as a teenager, maybe a few months before the turn, giggling in the dark with her girlfriends.

"I went to slumber parties all the time." She laughed. "Me and Maggie went to one together one time. We got the idea that we would have a séance. It ended in disaster. We pretended to call our Grammy back from the grave and somebody opened the door and the wind from the window blew through. We all thought it was her. We were all crying by the time it was over. So silly." She was embarrassed now. He probably didn't want to know all that.

But he laughed too, good naturedly and he was kicked back on the sofa. He was as laid back as Beth had seen him in a while. She wondered what pre-apocalypse Daryl had been like and if he had been as dark and brooding as when they first set eyes on each other at the farm. Even then she had thought him ruggedly handsome and was drawn to him whenever he was walking about. Of course, he barely knew she existed at that point. She felt a flush coming up on her, thinking of how much better he knew her now.

Daryl poured her another shot and reminded her it was her turn. "I've never been in love." She whispered and leaned over to pick up her glass, looking him in the eye the entire time.

Daryl swallowed hard and picked up his glass, throwing it back and setting the glass down before turning towards her and Beth's breath caught in her chest.

Daryl leaned towards her, placing each hand on her shoulders and gently bringing her to him, looping his arms lazily behind her neck and putting his lips to hers. Her cheeks were pleasantly flushed. He wanted to kiss her before she got too tipsy. He loved the way the alcohol tasted on her lips and he found himself wondering what it would have been like if he had kissed her all those weeks ago at their moonshine shack. He had thought about it. When he had been carving his initials into the railing of the porch with his knife. He had wanted to cross that porch and take her into his arms, but he didn't have the nerve then. He did now.

Beth opened her mouth willingly, accepting Daryl's tongue as he probed it further into her mouth. She moaned against his lips and he pulled her tighter to him and let his fingers splay over her back and drift downward to the small of her back just above the waistband and he ghosted his fingers lightly just beneath the fabric, his hands signaling what his mind was thinking. He was helpless to pull himself away from her. He pulled his hands around to her sides and she giggled against his mouth and he pulled back to look at her. "Someone is ticklish." He remarked. He would have to remember that later. He looked at her, her cheeks even more flushed than when he had started kissing her.

"Kiss me again." She asked him with her eyes half lidded with what looked astonishly like passion. It startled him a bit and he sat back trying to put a tad bit of distance between them, patting her knee as he sat back. Beth responded by climbing into his lap, wiggling her ass against his crotch. "Please Daryl." He just shook his head and chuckled. Too late, she was already getting tipsy. This wasn't exactly what he had planned for their game of 'I Never', he thought. She really was a lightweight when it came to alcohol, he thought.

She suddenly jumped up and ran over to the drawers on the other side of the camper, bringing back a deck of cards, a positively evil glint in her eyes. "We should play poker." She paused. "Strip poker" She said as she wiggled her eyebrows at him suggestively.

He groaned out loud and got up to take the cards from her. "Time for you to go to bed, Princess." He told her. He had to get her to sleep before she said or did something either she would regret or he would. He was starting to figure the latter to be more likely than the first. Daryl was barely able to keep hold of the reins on his feelings for Beth, the sexual ones that is. He was pretty sure she was starting to see how much he loved her. It had been evident in her last 'I Never' question. Unless he missed her point, she loved him too. He led her to the back of the camper and laid her down on the bed, pulling her boots off her as she fell back lazily, landing with a slight bounce.

To his horror, she tried to pull him down on top of her. Damn his stupid idea anyway. This is the exact opposite of what he had in mind. He pushed himself up and laughed at her again. He was trying like hell to get thoughts like the ones he had now from racing through his head in the most innocent of situations. The suggestive looks she was giving him right now were anything but innocent. He sighed deeply as he pulled the covers over her and she relaxed against the bed, closing her eyes.

Beth knew she was being brave about her advances with Daryl but he looked so damn hot sitting beside her and then he had kissed her and that had been her undoing. She had just wanted him from that point on. But now he was being all gentlemanly again. "You don't have to be so damn chivalrous all the time." She whispered as she drifted off to sleep.

He stood there looking down at her, not quite believing what she had said. It was like she had seen right through him this entire time. He supposed she was right; she always called him out on his shit. He probably didn't have to be like he was all the time. Maybe he could relent a little bit on the self imposed restrictions he had placed where Beth was concerned. He didn't know how he would do it, but as he looked down at this sleeping angel with a devil's streak a mile wide, he figured she could help him figure it out.


	8. Chapter 8

Beth was in the meadow behind the farm. She was lying on her back and looking at the clouds, one of her favorite things to do, picking out the different shapes and deciding what they should be. She heard Maggie calling her; Mama or Daddy probably wanted her to do some chore. "Bethie, where are you?" Maggie's voice sounded mildly alarmed. Then Beth heard the strangest sound. Death growls and they sounded like they were close. Her brain was having a hard time reconciling her setting with what was happening. She knew she hadn't seen Maggie in awhile and wondered where she had been. Just as she opened her mouth to ask her, Maggie cleared the rest of the tall grass and stepped into the clearing Beth was lying in. Beth sat up, startled by how close the growls had gotten. She looked up and to her horror, Maggie's face was hanging half off of her jaw and she was growling and snarling at her. Beth scrambled backwards and wondered where Daryl had gone. She called out for him but he was nowhere near. Beth reached down to her holster trying to find the knife Daryl had given her, but her holster was not on her body where it should be. As Maggie closed the distance between them, she got up and started running, screaming Daryl's name now, hoping he could hear her.

Daryl heard when she started stirring. He had been able to lay on the sofa bed without Beth heckling him about sleeping with her in the bed. Beth had fallen asleep quite quickly but Daryl had been left awake, pondering over what she had told him, his thoughts wandering to their game when she had all but admitted that she felt the same way about him as he did her. It thrilled his heart just a bit. But when Beth started screaming his name in her sleep, he got up quickly and approached her, giving little thought to the fact that he was just wearing his boxers. It was the first time in months that he had felt comfortable sleeping without his clothes. Before they had found the funeral home or this place, they had gotten used to sleeping in their clothes. They never knew if they were going to have to run in the middle of the night. It was hotter than the third ring of hell in the camper with the kerosene heater going full blast but at least he couldn't hear Beth's teeth chattering tonight. Last night he had started the camper again to make sure it really ran and checked the oil; just in case. Precautionary measures, hoping like hell he wouldn't have to put them to use, but knowing if he didn't have some kind of plan he would never rest.

"Beth" he whispered as he shook her shoulders gently but she was not waking up. It was probably the alcohol. She thrashed about on the bed and Daryl felt a little helpless watching her. She was clearly having a nightmare and he wanted nothing more than to make it stop and let her know that nothing bad was going to happen to her, not if he could help it anyway. He sat down beside her on the bed and resisted the urge to take her into his arms. He was afraid in his current state of mind, the lateness of the hour and his lack of dress, he might not be able to stop himself from doing anything he needed to reassure her that she was safe. He shook her again, this time none too gently and speaking her name a little louder. She looked so helpless and so damn beautiful in slumber, even with her brow furrowed and tossing and turning. He shook her harder; he had to get her awake before her cries woke up any walkers that had been in hibernation with the cold. At least it seemed that was what was happening. She opened her eyes finally, her pupils adjusting to the light and it reminded him of when her pupils had dilated before he had put her in the bed. About the same time that she had told him that she wanted him to kiss her again. Her eyes had been dark blue pools of desire then; it was a look Daryl wasn't soon going to forget. Not with the way he felt about her anyway. "You were havin' a dream." He whispered in the dark.

She sat up and pulled the covers tighter around her and then let them drop as she realized how hot she was. "It's hot in here." She remarked hoarsely.

Daryl's mouth dropped open a little at that. Damn woman, couldn't make up her mind if she was hot or cold. Here he had been about to roast. He crossed the camper to turn the heater down and made to grab his shirt about the time that Beth got up and stripped down to her t-shirt and panties, giving little thought to Daryl's presence. She was still half asleep. Daryl tried not to glance her way until he was sure she was back in the bed and safely under the covers. He snuck a glance to make sure and just barely got a glimpse of her tight little ass as it moved, the fabric of her pale pink panties stretched tight, as she climbed back in the bed. He groaned inwardly as he thought of all the ways he would like to touch her in what she was wearing. He forced those thoughts away again.

"Daryl can you please sleep with me again." She asked him in a small voice that Daryl didn't have the heart to refuse. The dream clearly had her shaken up. He trudged back over to the bed and she smiled softly at him as she pulled the covers back again to let him climb in beside her. He caught another glimpse of her lying there, her t-shirt straining against her firm round breasts, her nipples barely making an outline in the fabric. This girl was going to be the death of him, thought Daryl. But he pulled her into his arms.

"You want to talk about it." He was referring to the dream, she knew.

Beth thought Daryl looked hotter than hell standing there in nothing but his boxers and when he walked over to her, she knew she didn't miss the fact that he was checking her out as his eyes drifted noticeably to her breasts. She inhaled sharply as she pinpointed his unmistaken desire. She realized that he wanted her in that moment. She knew what it took for him to join her in the bed. Again. This seemed to be a battle that was longstanding and she wasn't sure who was winning right now. Having him this close and not being able to touch him in all the ways she wanted was practically torture. As he pulled her into his arms and asked her about her dream, Beth sighed against him.

"I was in the field at the farm and Maggie was callin' for me." She began. She told him all of it. How when Maggie had gotten close, she had turned and how horrible it was. "I kept callin' for you. I didn't know where you were." She whispered.

He knew she was referring to the dream but he reassured her anyway. "I'm right here, Princess." He whispered. "I ain't goin' anywhere." It was a promise he meant to keep.

"Daryl?" Beth asked him after a few moments of silence.

"Do you want me?" she asked him bravely as she leaned her head back a little and looked into his eyes, his fairly smoldering with barely disguised passion. She couldn't believe she had the nerve to ask him that and she wondered briefly if the alcohol was still affecting her. She was a tiny bit dizzy and still a little giddy, although her dream had brought down her buzz somewhat.

Daryl laid there and he couldn't believe what she had just asked him. She looked at him and he looked into her eyes, not really sure what to say without giving away everything he was feeling. He wasn't sure he was ready to talk about all of it, but he knew she wasn't going to let him off that easy on what she was asking him. He wondered if she knew what she was asking him.

"What do you mean?" He was going to attempt to play dumb but Beth was having none of it.

"You know." She said. And it reminded her of that conversation in the funeral home. The one. It always came back to that moment.

It reminded Daryl of the same. "Yeah I do. I mean. I know." He stammered. God he knew he was going to fuck this up. He took a deep breath and started over. "What I meant ta say was; I do know what you mean." He paused and rubbed her shoulder absently with his hand. She was curled so prettily against him, he could have just laid down and gone to sleep but instead here they were up in the middle of the night talking about feelings. It would make Daryl run for the hills if it was anyone but Beth. But he had grown more and more comfortable with her. Part of that scared him. The more comfortable he got with Beth the more he lost the tight control he had on keeping his feelings for her locked inside. For the most part anyway. He figured it was like everything else between them though. She would drag it out of him eventually. He may as well be honest with her.

"Yeah, Beth. I do. I do want you." He admitted shyly and looked at her, their faces close and Beth could feel his breath on her cheek as he admitted to her what she had known all along. He did want her. She knew it and she couldn't help but let her heart feel a bit of a thrill at it. But she knew Daryl pretty well. But knowing he liked her, wanted her and him acting on it was two different things.

Beth had to be sure though. She needed to hear him say it. "You want me sexually?" She said bravely. That whiskey had to still be in her system. She remembered all the things she had done while she had been tipsy and now here she was asking if Daryl wanted to sleep with her. She guessed the whiskey had brought out her inner whore. But she knew it wasn't just that. It wouldn't be just sex with Daryl. It would be much, much more.

Daryl swallowed hard, his throat suddenly very dry. He eyed her carefully to make sure she wasn't fucking with him but he knew her better than that. She was serious. She wanted to know. Well he was going to tell her. "Beth I have wanted you. In that way. Since the moonshine shack probably." He said, weighing his words carefully. He needed her to understand the depth of his feeling for her. "But not sexually." He said and her face fell; he was confusing her. His heart might have broken a bit at the look on her face. So he re-worded them. "That came after. I mean I do want you like that Beth. I'd be a fool to say different. And I'd also be lying. I can't lie to you. Not now." He said. He hoped it was coming out right.

Beth's face softened at his admission. She could tell he was having a hard time and she fought her desire to help him. She needed to hear what he was saying in his own words. She smiled at him softly. "I know that. I'd just know anyway." She said smartly and he chuckled softly.

"I didn't want you in that way at the shack. I thought about kissing you but I didn't think I could do it." He smirked at her. "But you wore me down," He admitted and she smiled at that.

"Now?" He said softly. "Yeah, I want you Beth. In all the ways a man can want a woman." He was being candid now and he didn't think he had ever told anyone what he was telling her. No he knew he hadn't. Because he had never felt this way before. She had worked her way under his skin and he knew with a certainty that those feelings were not going anywhere.

Beth's heart thrilled at that. "Then why are we fighting this Daryl." Beth asked him honestly. She stared up at him in the dark and watched all the emotions play across his features. He used to be dark and mysterious to Beth. But she knew differently now. Daryl was a unique individual. When he finally gave his heart to someone, and she hoped to god it was her, it would be forever. Which was fine with her because that's how she felt about him.

"Because Beth. I gotta keep you safe. Even from me." His expression was pained now. "You're too good fer me, Princess. I've done things. Things I ain't proud of." He said softly, his words a whisper in the dark.

"But Daryl, that's all in the past. It's not who you are anymore. Remember? You gotta stay who you are. Not who you were." She repeated those words from that night. She knew he remembered when he looked at her softly and lowered his lips to hers but just before he kissed her she pulled away. "And I already told you. You are good. I say so." She reassured him and placed each hand on either side of his face. This time Beth was the one who met his lips with hers. This time, it was Beth who teased his lips open with her tongue, pushing her tongue into his mouth tentatively and feeling him respond to her kisses. He ran his fingers through her hair and rested it on the back of her head, his fingers tangling in the tresses. He used his hand to pull her head closer to his as he angled his head to deepen the kiss and Beth moaned under his lips. Suddenly she was very aware of how very little clothing they had on. She felt a deep pulsing need low in her belly.

"I want you, Daryl." She whispered against his mouth. Her words had made her brave and she tentatively placed her hand against his bare chest, thrilling at the hardness of his muscles. He sharply inhaled and Beth bravely traced lazy circles on his skin and ghosting her fingers further down, memorizing each hard plane of his body until she had reached his abdomen.

Daryl stopped kissing her for a moment, not wanting to even breathe as he felt her fingers skimming over his skin, setting a fiery trail with her touch. Daryl groaned against her lips and moved his hand from the back of her head to trace the delicate skin of her shoulder, her t-shirt having slipped off her slim shoulders. Her skin was creamy, white, delicate and soft and Daryl wanted to bury his face in her neck, all rational thought having gone out the window with her admission of desire. Sure he had women to say that all the time before the turn. But not a woman like Beth. Not someone he loved. It was a foreign feeling to him. He liked it. It scared him. But he liked it.

"I want you too Princess." It took every ounce of strength to pull away from her, but he drug his mouth from hers and leaned his forehead against hers. "But we ain't ready for this yet. I ain't ready for this yet. 'S okay if we take this slow?" He asked her. It was all he could promise her. He wasn't even going to get into what might happen if and when they met up with the others. He didn't mention it; he didn't have it in him to see that look come across her face again. That pained expression combined with a tinge of hope that they would find the others.

Beth smiled up at him sweetly. "Of course, it's okay. I've never." She stopped herself, blushing furiously. "I never done any of this before." She admitted.

Daryl groaned aloud. He had suspected as much but hearing her actually admit it was a different thing entirely. "I figured as much. 'S okay." He told her as he enveloped her in his arms again.

Beth sighed against his chest. She felt somehow that their relationship had just taken a stark turn from what it had been. Daryl placed a soft kiss to her lips and pulled back again. Beth tucked her head under his chin and sighed happily. "G'night Daryl." She said softly.

"G'night Beth". He whispered back. He knew that they hadn't discussed everything they needed to but he didn't feel like they needed to talk it to death right now. Besides that, what he had admitted to her had been damn hard. He needed to take baby steps in admitting all the things he felt for Beth. He pulled her a little closer in the dark, contentment washing over him. He was holding the woman he loved and for once, he was letting himself feel what he wanted to.

Beth closed her eyes, marveling at Daryl and what he had just told her. She knew it had taken a tremendous amount of strength for him to admit what he had to her. She also knew that it had been a long time coming. She sent up a prayer just then to whoever was up there listening nowadays. When they had first left the prison, she really had been anything but thrilled to be stuck alone with Daryl. He had been surly and hateful and angry and she didn't think he would ever talk to her at first. But the Daryl then and the Daryl now seemed to be two different people. It had Beth wondering if this was the real Daryl. It was a nice thought. Now that he had admitted his feelings, she wasn't sure where they were going to go from there. But one thing was for sure, he was going to be sleeping beside her every night from here on out. She was going to make sure of it. Because being in Daryl's arms felt like Heaven. And that was just something that she wasn't willing to let go of. Not now. Not ever. She loved him and she was going to convince him that they were meant to be together. Fate had brought them together. She was going to make sure they stayed that way. Even if it killed them both.


	9. Chapter 9

Daryl had gotten up that morning, carefully extracting himself from Beth's arms, being as quiet as possible so as not to wake her. He motioned for Lucky to follow him and the dog obediently got up from his permanent perch on the sofa bed and followed him to the door. He opened the door stealthily and closed it behind him. It had snowed again. He swore he couldn't keep the weather straight nowadays. It looked like the mild winters they had the past two years were over. This cold and snow looked like it was here to stay. And it was still early in the year; Daryl was ever thankful that they had found this camper. He didn't know how they would be faring otherwise right now. He dragged a hand down over his face as he walked over to the copse of trees and relieved himself, glad he was able to step away for a few minutes and gather his thoughts. He finished and walked back to the camper, lighting a cigarette as he did so. He had found a couple of packs in the campers storage area. He was going to have to be super careful with them if he wanted them to last a while. It was hard to tell when he'd be able to score another pack. You would have thought with a zombie apocalypse he would have been able to kick the habit for good, but if anything it might have made it worse. The constant stress they were under made him want to light up almost continuously.

He thought back over Beth and his conversation last night and he didn't regret telling her any of it. The only thing dogging Daryl was the fact that he kept waking up and wanting to make her his. He could almost hear Merle's voice in his head. "Whatsa matter Darylina? I didn't take you to be pussy whipped." Then Merle would laugh. Yeah if Merle was here right now, he'd be having a field day with this thing between him and Beth. If somebody had told him a year ago that he'd be on the verge of hooking up with Beth Greene he would have told them they were out of their fuckin' mind. But it was much more than just hooking up, what he and Beth had between them. The hell of the whole thing was as long as she was close, it seemed to be the only thing he could think about. He loved her more than he had ever loved another human being. He wanted to show her, on her body, with his; wanted to show her how much he loved her.

If Daryl had to guess on why he loved her, it'd be anybody's guess. He loved the way her eyes lit up when he looked at her. The look on her face when she was singing and really giving herself over to a song. The way she looked at him when he walked back in the camper from being out for this reason or that. The way she was with Lucky, always a kind pat on his head, never minding that he was a stinky mutt. He loved the way she had always taken care of Lil Ass Kicker. And as heartbreaking as it was, he loved the wistful look that came across her face when she talked about when they found everyone and Baby Judith again. He knew that she would give about anything to hold that little girl in her arms again. He hoped like hell he could make it happen for her.

The longer they were together and alone, the more it made Daryl worry that his original suspicions had been true; that they truly were alone and no one else had survived. It was the not knowing that was the hardest part. It was frustrating the hell out of Daryl, much the way he was frustrated that he didn't feel free enough to express his love for Beth to her.

As if by summoned by his thoughts, he heard the door to the camper open and she stepped out into the crisp winter air, holding her arms tight around her middle. "It's freezin' out here." She remarked.

"'Mornin'. Hungover?" he winced a bit as he looked at her. She was squinting against the brilliant white of the snow lying on the ground. He figured they had gotten another 10 inches overnight. They were not going very far anywhere today. He had thought he might get some hunting in but now that possibility looked pretty slim.

Beth shook her head. "Nah. Just had to pee." She laughed a little. They had long since had to get used to sharing just about every intimate detail of their daily life together.

Daryl nodded. He knew the drill. He walked around to the back side of the camper, watching as Lucky stood guard by the door to the camper. Sometimes that dog bugged the hell out of Daryl, but then he would go ahead and do something like this and Daryl was forced to like him. He felt the corners of his mouth turned up a bit. Maybe the mutt was worth saving after all, he thought.

Daryl heard the growls before he saw anything. He couldn't believe there was a walker this far up in the forest. He turned around just in time to unsheathe his knife and plunge it into the walker's head. He instantly was in fight stance, wishing like hell he had brought his bow out with him. Their time up here in the mountains had made him soft. He never fucking went without his bow. Never. Where was Beth?

Beth heard Lucky growl low and he came running over to her just as the walker broke through the copse of the trees on the other side of the camper.

Daryl came around the side of the camper two walkers in pursuit. Daryl grabbed the ball bat sitting beside the door of the camper. He had set it out here for just such a purpose. He looked around for Beth, not seeing her and he quickly dispatched the two walkers, their rotting corpses falling into the snow.

Beth ran back around the camper, having taken down the walker pursuing her with relative ease, although her hands were still shaking a bit. Daryl dropped the bat back on the ground and surveying the scene around them. She ran forward and he turned as he heard her gasp a little. Her face was a mask of equal parts terror and relief.

She catapulted herself into his arms, feeling them close around her tightly and pulling her against him. It had been a close call and one they had been unprepared for. They had let their guards down. Daryl didn't aim for it to happen again. Beth tucked her head up under Daryl's chin, whispering. "I thought that was it, Daryl."

"I know. Scared the shit outa me." He pulled away to look at her carefully, his eyes raking down over her, checking for bites or scratches.

"I'm fine Daryl." She reassured him, bravely reaching up and planting a soft kiss against his lips. Beth guessed when your life was at stake, it got rid of pesky things like embarrassment and shyness.

Daryl kissed Beth back briefly. "We gotta be more careful Beth. We got off lucky this time." He told her. He didn't finish the thought they both had. They might not be as lucky the next time. Fat fucking chance, thought Daryl. He was not letting anything like that happen again.

Daryl finished his dinner of peaches and canned beans. He thought if he never saw another peach again, it might be too soon. He guessed peaches were evidently considered the number one doomsday prepper food. Because the cabinets were chock full of industrial size cans of peaches. Once they opened a can, they kind of felt obliged to finish it quickly. Daryl sat back and thoughtfully chewed on his thumb. Beth was reading a book back on the bed. They had been forced to find other things to do and he was getting bored. He had a ton of restless energy and not much to be done with it with all the snow on the ground.

He got up and paced to the front of the camper, glancing at Beth as he did so. He wished like hell his stupid mind would stay out of the gutter. He could think of plenty of things they could do if he would let himself go there, but he wouldn't.

Beth looked up from her book to watch as Daryl paced and caught him looking at her. He made her nervous when he was in a mood like this. He was restless she could tell. Back when they were at the prison, he would sometimes take off for hours into the woods, bringing back his kill at the end of the day. She knew it had to be hard for him to suddenly be practically housebound. Or mobile housebound. It almost made her giggle, but she thought better of it, watching Daryl, his expression fixed into a frown.

He walked over to the door as if suddenly making a decision. "I'll be back in a bit. Gonna scout the perimeter" He bit over his shoulder and then he was gone. So we are back to that Daryl again, thought Beth wryly. She swore he was about as moody as a. Well as a girl really. She knew he had been hard on himself after the walkers that morning. They had just gotten really used to not seeing the walkers. It had been almost easy to pretend that none of what was happening beyond these woods was happening. Beth sighed realizing that the walkers had definitely brought them a stark reminder. They weren't soon going to make that mistake again.

Beth thought nervously over what she had done to the sofa bed earlier. She knew that she wanted Daryl with her but she also knew his chivalry would get in the way of that any time. So she had done the one thing that she could think of. While Daryl had been out doing god knows what earlier that day, she had gotten some of the tools he had gathered for fixing the heater and found some wrenches and a set of bolt cutters. She would have never been able to figure out why apocalyptic fanatics would need bolt cutters before but now that they had been on the road again, it made perfect sense to Beth. They could come in handy in a myriad of places. Bolt cutters might even mean the difference between living and dying if one was hard pressed to get away from a herd of walkers and the only thing that stood between them and survival was a locked fence. Beth had taken the wrench and tried to detach the springs from the sides of the sofa, meaning to weaken the structure but then the spring had broken off. She had sworn softly, knowing he was going to be hella pissed when he figured out what she did. But there was no turning back now. It was the only surefire way she could think of to keep Daryl from sleeping alone night after night. Beth detached the rest of the springs from the sides of the sofa. She then tested her handiwork and was pleased to see that she fell through the cushions quite easily. She knew she wasn't ruining the sofa for good. He could put it back together but she wanted him to see how serious she was about him staying with her at night time. She really felt safer and she just didn't sleep well knowing she had the whole bed and he was stuck on the uncomfortable sofa sleeper.

The trick of it was going to be keeping Daryl off it until bed time. She had done pretty good so far. She had settled herself in with a book in the bed hopefully to discourage him from sitting next to her on the sofa. Then she had worried that he would stay away from her altogether and sit on the sofa. But it turns out she had been very wrong about both. Daryl had barely been inside the camper all day and even when he was, he was fidgety and nervous like he kept expecting something to happen. She guessed the walkers had bothered him more than he let on.

Beth went back to her book and woke up some time later to Daryl coming back in the door. It was dark out now and Beth was more than ready for bed. She got up to change into some pajamas and stepped behind the curtain as she pulled off her jeans and sweatshirt and traded them for a pair of yoga pants and a tank top. She sleepily pulled back the covers and looked over to where Daryl was taking his boots off. He was propped against the counter and he pulled them both off with ease. Beth watched him carefully, suddenly feeling a lot more awake. This could go very bad or very good? Daryl went to sit down roughly on the sofa and Beth gasped and closed her eyes tightly waiting for his reaction. At the moment, he was too stunned by falling completely through the sofa to the floor to do anything else. Beth winced and waited for the inevitable fallout of her actions. "What the fuck? Beth!"

Beth cringed, all the sudden wondering what the hell she had been thinking when she sabotaged the sofa. Beth got up from the bed, sleep now the furthest thing from her mind. She had really only meant to make a point but now she might regret it a little bit. Well okay, she regretted it a lot. Especially now that Daryl was taking long strides back to where the bed was so he could reach her in the minimal amount of time, she guessed to take her head off, that same steely glint back in his eyes. While brooding Daryl was infinitely sexy and made her knees quiver, she far preferred sweet, sensitive Daryl; the one that no one else got to see. People got to see this Daryl plenty, she thought as he took her by the arm and dragged her to the front of the camper. The sensation of him dragging her somewhere when he was fiercely angry made her think of the moonshine shack. He had been horrible that day. He had said he was a dick when he was drunk. Well right now, she was wishing for drunk dick Daryl. Because this Daryl looked like he might explode any moment.

"Don't be mad." She protested as she tried to pull away from him. He wasn't holding her roughly at all but she didn't really like being manhandled, well at least not like this anyway.

"Don't be mad?" he yelled. "What the fuck did you do to this sofa? He pulled the cushions back revealing the mess of broken coils and springs. "You hacked up a perfectly good sofa." He looked at her incredulously. Daryl couldn't fucking believe she had done it but he released her wrist all the same.

"Has being locked up in this camper given you some kind of cabin fever?" He asked her, pacing back and forth in front of her.

Beth finally answered him, the anger having built up in her over the browbeating he was giving her. "Yeah as a matter of fact it has. I'm crazy okay." She smoothed her hair back from her forehead with one hand, the errant curls ever in the way, and gestured wildly with the other. "It's not completely ruined. Well there is the one part that broke off when I was prying it up, but you can probably fix it." She said hopefully. He really could fix anything he set his mind to.

Daryl stared at her, completely in awe of her nerve and sass. "Are you fucking kidding me? " He spit out. "You break the sofa intentionally and you want me to fix it." He shook his head back and forth. "Fucking crazy."

"That's the second time you called me crazy. It ain't like I've had anybody to talk to all day. You being lost in your own head the whole time. And I'm sicka sleeping by myself. It's cold in this camper and it's lonely. Lucky won't even sleep with me. He likes you better." Lucky looked up at the sound of his name but put his head back down and stretched out further on the floor beside the sofa.

She knew she was coming close to crying and she was so damn frustrated that it came back to this with the two of them. She knew Daryl liked her; loved her even. And god help her, she loved him too. But they were never going to get together if she waited for him to make all the moves. The one thing they didn't have was time; in this life, they weren't promised the next breath.

She smiled at him softly, some of the fight leaving her then. "You're such an unbelievable jackass." She remarked as she looked up at him, his breathing coming out in puffs as he tried to reign in his temper.

Daryl shuffled his feet back and forth, not sure what to say about that. She had him in spades with that description. He knew he was a jackass most of the time. "I'm a jackass because you do stupid shit that pisses me off." He said, puffing his cheeks out a bit as some of the anger seeped from his body.

Beth nodded, conceding agreement. "I know."

He looked up in surprise at that. "Wait. What?" He was puzzled. It almost sounded like she was admitting she was wrong.

"You're right. I do stupid shit all the time and I don't know why you put up with me honestly. I know I act like a brat sometimes. Maggie used to tell me that all the time." She said thoughtfully, remembering her sibling fondly. "But I get so damn tired of trying to convince you of what I need." Beth admitted looking up at him shyly.

Daryl looked at her thoughtfully. "What you need?" No one had ever needed him before.

"What I need from you Daryl. You make me feel safe, but that feeling only extends so far; when I am asleep and you are away from me." She gestured with her hands hoping she was being clear enough. "The two nights that you have slept beside me have been the only full nights sleep I have gotten since we left the prison." She admitted and she walked over to the window of this back side of the Airstream, giving him the time and space to absorb what she had just told him.

Well now Daryl felt like the worst asshole in the whole world. In all his self-imposed celibacy and his feeling that he was doing the best he could to stay away from her, he had never considered that he might be keeping Beth from feeling safe. He was her protector; if she didn't feel safe then he was doing a piss poor job of it. "I-. I'm sorry I never thought of it that way." He said, in awe of her. What she was telling him was plain as the nose on his face. "I guess I just thought it might be easier if I stayed away from ya. Ah hell Beth, the truth of it is I don't think I could control myself if I was to be in the bed with ya, all night and every night." His face flushed as he said it, but it sure as hell felt good getting it off his chest.

Beth's heart jumped a little at that. It was as close to an involuntary admission of sexual desire on his part that she was going to get. "Well what are we gonna do then? I can put the bed back together if ya want." Beth offered, although she didn't have a clue in the world on how to reassemble a sofa bed.

Daryl sighed loudly and ran his hand through his hair. She was impossibly cute standing there telling him she was going to put the bed back together. He knew she didn't know a wrench from a screwdriver. Her hair was wild again and he knew she hated it when it did that. He reached his hand out, his fingers itching and reached out tentatively to push her hair back from her face.

Beth didn't flinch at his touch. His hands were rough on her face and he lightly tangled his fingers further into her hair.

"Ah, fuck it." Daryl muttered as he closed the rest of the distance between him, swooping his head down and capturing her lips in his and pushing her gently back against the wall of the camper right beside the window. He felt her responding under his kisses and he gave himself over to the sensation.

Beth was surprised when Daryl made a face like he had just lost a fight and he looked directly at her right before shoving her against the wall and kissing her. Beth opened her mouth, accepting his tongue into hers, their tongues dancing with one another. Beth sighed softly against his mouth.

Daryl leaned all the way against her, his arms now planted on either side of her head on the wall. Beth had been relaxed and leaning against the wall, but when he slid his tongue into her mouth, he felt her tense up and bring her hips up to meet his as she wound her arms up around his neck, her fingers skimming over the nape of his neck. She tugged his head gently down to meet hers more fully. That same persistent pulse was gathering between her legs again and she had the insane urge to push her hand over the place where it ached to get it to stop. Somehow she knew it wouldn't be enough.

Daryl groaned as Beth pushed her hips toward his and he fought the urge to grind himself against her. He was acting like a fucking teenager again and he found that he didn't care. His cock was so hard in his pants he felt like he was going come right then and there. He pulled his mouth from hers finally and rested his forehead against hers, allowing them both to catch their breath.

Beth drew in a shaky breath and cleared her throat. "So does that mean you want me to fix the sofa?" she asked him sweetly, looking right into his eyes and she was pleased to see that steely glare was gone.

Daryl chuckled at that and pressed a quick chaste kiss to her mouth. "I'll fix it tomorrow, ya crazy girl. You want me to sleep with ya, I will." He flushed at how that sounded. "I mean. Er- you know what I mean." He stammered.

"No what do you mean?" She teased rather enjoying how very uncomfortable he was.

"Shut up, ya brat." He said but there was nothing harsh in his face to back up his words. "I mean if me being close by is what ya need to feel safe, then I ain't gonna argue with it." He said.

She sent him a soft look. "Ya know, nobody would believe that this is the same Daryl Dixon." She said, flashing a bright smile.

"You're making me all soft, girl." He admitted. "You tell anybody and I'll deny it." He said gruffly.

Beth reached up to ruffle his hair. "I don't think I'll have to tell anyone." She said smartly. "And I don't think anyone would mind. Or say anything to ya about it."

The smile she had on her face was radiant and Daryl ached as he looked at her, a thousand thoughts racing in his head. "You're so damn beautiful." He said suddenly.

Beth blushed under his stare and she felt those butterflies taking flight in her stomach again. She didn't know what to say to him so she let her body do the talking instead, leaning forward and closing her eyes, letting him know she intended to kiss him, pressing her lips to his and he responded accordingly.

He kissed her thoroughly for a while and then finally dragged his mouth from hers. "As much as I would like to stand here and kiss ya all night, we better get some sleep." He told her and chuckled as she tried to stifle a yawn.

"I'm not tired." Beth said and grinned at him. "You would kiss me all night?" She couldn't resist. She could never pull stuff like this out of him at least not with any finesse. Getting him to admit things was thrilling and she just couldn't help but wonder what else was running around in that beautiful brain of his.

"Yes, I would." He swatted her on the behind as she turned to get in the bed, the sofa having been forgotten. "Now get in the bed." He told her as he crossed to the other side of the bed and quickly undressed down to his boxers and t-shirt. He guessed that would do for pajamas. He had survived the last night, he guessed he could do it again if it meant Beth would feel safe. That was his job after all.

"I thought you'd never ask, sir." She said cheekily.

Daryl groaned. "God woman do you ever shut up?" he asked her.

"Nope, never." She said, satisfied and amused at their banter. She laid down and waited for him to climb beneath the covers. He held his arm out for her and she beamed at him as she scooted closer to him, resting her head on his biceps and she snaked her other hand out to rest on his stomach.

"I got one condition on this arrangement" he said.

Beth had a feeling she knew what it was and she was pretty sure she wasn't going to like it one bit. "Go on." She told him.

"I will sleep with ya every night. I will keep ya safe. But in the bed, we keep the touchin' and kissin' to a minimum. Got it?" Daryl had to set some sort of ground rules, especially with Beth.

"No fun. But yeah, I got it." She replied and she sighed against his chest where her head now rested. She was tracing lazy circles on his chest, feeling herself getting sleepier with every breath.

Daryl laid there waiting for sleep to come. Beth had gotten quiet, finally, and he was pretty sure she had dropped off to sleep. Daryl's sighed as he held her in his arms. He meant what he said; he would keep her safe. His last thought as he followed her into dreamland was that he hoped he could keep his word.

Daryl awoke a few hours later to the sound of something banging against the cabin and Lucky was standing up at the door, emitting a long growl from deep in his belly. He got up from beside Beth, not sure if he wanted to wake her just yet or not. He dressed quickly and walked over to the window. It was hard to make out anything but in the moonlight he could faintly make out figures in the dark, ambling about. Walkers. A small herd, but a herd nonetheless and Daryl felt that familiar stab of fear in his gut. Daryl whispered loudly to Beth. "Beth, wake up." Daryl watched as Lucky bounded back to the bed and hopped up, licking Beth repeatedly in the face. Daryl stared at the mutt in shock. Once again he had proved himself to be invaluable. Beth sat up and looked around groggily.

"There's a herd outside." He said as he pulled on his boots and shrugged into his jacket. He should have fucking known that their idyllic setting up here couldn't last.

Beth hurriedly dressed, the fear evident in her eyes, and got her guns and knife and strapped her holster around her hips. "We gonna fight 'em?" she asked him, clearly ready for the action.

Daryl looked at her uncertainly. "Nah, it looks like a lot of 'em. Wish we could wait for 'em to pass but I'm afraid they might bring the whole camper down if they got into a frenzy." He said. "I think we are gonna have to make a run for it. I'm sure as shit glad that I been startin' this thing every day making sure it runs."

They made their way to the very front of the camper and turned the swivel captain's chairs around to face the windshield. Daryl rolled the blinds back on the windshield and started the vehicle, praying like crazy that it would crank. He heard the engine purr to life and so did the walkers that had invaded their area while they slept. There was still a lot of snow on the ground so Daryl eased the vehicle into drive and let it coast to the approximate position of the gravel road that would lead them to the service road. It would be slow going but if they could get away from the walkers, they might have a fighting chance of making it out of this, if the camper didn't go careening over the mountainside in the slick conditions. It wasn't like he could get out and shovel the shit out of the way to make clear passage. Daryl looked to Beth and noted that she was worrying her lip between her teeth.

"Hey," he got her attention. "It's going to be ok." He smiled softly at her and it earned him a smile back.

They drove for about five miles, the walkers finally spacing out until they didn't see any more of them. They finally made it to the service road and descended down off the mountain, the vehicle moving at a snail's pace but Daryl was afraid to let the thing go any faster, not trusting the brakes to work in these conditions.

Beth leaned back in the seat as they made it to the main road at last and they were surprised to find that it hadn't snowed as much down here. Finally something to be thankful for. She leaned back against the seat as they drove through the night.

As they drove on through the night, Beth finally fell asleep. Daryl wished like hell for daylight so he could see where he was going, but for now he was content to drive and sneak occasional glances to his right, watching the woman he loved sleep. Wherever they were going, he didn't care. He had everything he needed right here beside him.


	10. Chapter 10

They had been driving all night and as the soft light of dawn crept across the horizon of the highway they were on, Daryl started looking for a place to pull off for a little while. Lack of sleep was burning behind his eyes and he had a dull throb of a headache starting in his temples. Beth was still sleeping and he hoped they could pull off for a while to get some rest and eat a little something. She stirred beside him in her chair and he reached across the space between them and ruffled her hair. "Good mornin' sleepyhead." He smiled at her softly.

Lucky peered up at them from his resting spot between their two captains chairs. He looked back and forth between them and as he pulled his hand away from Beth's hair he paused for a moment to pat the dog on the head, which he seemed to appreciate and then went back to resting and enjoying the ride.

Beth opened her eyes sleepily and pushed her hair back from her face and stretched lazily as she smiled in his direction. "G'mornin." She said softly and looked around at their surroundings. She didn't know what had happened to her. She supposed after not sleeping every night for the past few weeks, the feeling of the camper rocking gently on the road as they drove through the night had lulled her to sleep. In waking up this morning, she felt better than she had in a long time. "Where are we?" she asked as she surveyed the landscape. They were on a country road, passing not much else besides trees and fields of overgrown wheat, beaten down by the winter weather and going so long untended. It reminded her of the farm and she often wondered if it was still standing or if the walkers had trampled it to the ground that fateful night. Sometimes to Beth, it seemed like something that had happened to someone else. It was as if each new event in their life, they evolved and changed and sometimes it made Beth dizzy trying to keep up with it all.

Daryl loved watching her wake up in the morning. There were few things as beautiful as Beth opened her eyes in the morning, her face fresh from a good night's sleep, hair mussed, and those slow lazy smiles she kept shooting his way. Every time she smiled at him like that, like he was the only thing she wanted to look at, it pulled on the strings of his heart, a pleasant ache settling there. "We've been heading North for a while now. Passed a sign for North Carolina a little while ago."

Beth looked at him thoughtfully. She wondered if he remembered when it had been revealed that he had never been out of Georgia at their first "I Never". She figured he probably did. "So now you've been out of Georgia" She said softly.

Daryl glanced over at her, surprised that she had remembered that. They had both been pretty drunk that night. As much as he had to drink every moment of their time in that shack would be forever etched into his memory. He slowed the camper as they came to a railroad crossing and a sign for campground 3 miles ahead. The sign was weather worn and rusted but it looked like it said Stonybrook as they passed it. It was a little ironic coming up on a campground considering they had the Airstream. With any luck they might have water hookup and be able to put that shower to good use in the bathroom. So far, they had been making do with quick wash-ups using their bottled water very sparingly and then using the melted snow. Having a full shower was considered a luxury these days. It didn't bother Daryl, never had since the turn, but ever since he and Beth had gotten closer, he found himself inexplicably wanting to shower more often. He guessed it was some inane instinct that took over.

Beth sat up straighter and fixed her hair back into her usual hairstyle, messy ponytail with her regular braid. They had pulled up to the sign advertising Stonybrook Campground. It was a cartoon picture of a family with a tent and a camper in the background. There was a mom and a dad and two kids and they all had goofy looks on their faces. The ad was peppered with other camping items like sticks with marshmallows on the end, a campfire, and a fishing pole. The area was surrounded with forest and the path to the campground was paved, otherwise it might be impassible with all the recent snow.

There were huge gates at the entrance but they were standing wide open. The sign on the right side of the gates said "Closed for Winter." He guessed no one had ever gotten around to closing the gates the last season it had been open. It was telling. Daryl cut the wheel to the right and pulled the camper onto the road leading to the camp, which was covered with a thick canopy of Carolina pines for as far as the eye could see. Daryl could imagine that come spring and summer this place was completely filled in with lush green foliage. Perfect hunting grounds. They didn't see any walkers on the drive in and he tried not to get his hopes up that it would be a safe place. The sun was rising bright and there were slanted rays coming through in pinpoints through the trees. They came into a clearing with a rickety shack that must have been the check-in point for families and families of campers every year. It was little more than a lean-to and was about to fall down but the whole place kind of looked that way. Everything was overgrown and then trampled down, the overgrowth covering over the old walkways. The road branched out from there to the camping areas. There were clear labeled areas for finding the lot numbers.

"Want to flip a coin?" He asked Beth with a hint of a smile as he looked at her. He didn't know which direction to go.

Beth giggled a little. "I think I'm broke right now. Not a cent to my name." She joked looking at him.

Daryl patted his pockets of his pants. "Yeah me too. It's weird not using money anymore." He remarked.

Beth sighed. "Yeah, it used to be such a big part of everything. Now it doesn't mean anything at all." She was remembering when they had set fire to their moonshine shack with the thick stack of bills he had found at the golf resort. She perked up in her seat. "I got an idea. How about we do "I Never" but we don't drink. If you would have to drink, I get to choose where we go. If I would have to, then you choose. Fair?" She didn't know if he would like this idea but their game kept replaying in her head over and over again. She realized that it was only the recent game that she was remembering. Daryl had been right; it was good to replace the memory with something good.

Daryl looked at her thoughtfully while he chewed on his thumbnail. He guessed she liked his idea the other night. He was flattered and his heart gave a little jump in his chest. It hit him odd sometimes the depth of what he felt for her. Something simple like that connection between them just sparked something in him all over again. "Sounds good. You get to go first. I went first last time" He said.

Beth grinned at him then even as a blush crept up on her face, remembering their kissing that had been born of that session of 'I Never'. "Let me think a minute." She looked at the crossroads and tried to pick out where they were going to go, because she thought she had thought of something that he would definitely have to drink to if there were alcohol involved. Her face felt like it was on fire as she tried to get up the nerve to say what she was saying. Alcohol might actually help right now. In the light of day, all her inhibitions were latched firmly back in place. She already knew the answer. It really wasn't the point. Beth loved winning; it was almost necessary. They had already had this conversation but right now, this was for fun. Except it was still hard to voice this to Daryl, the raw sexual tension between them. The only thing that helped her in the right direction was that it was daylight and they were running from a new danger from walkers. There was no way it would lead anywhere, but it was still fun to play with fire. "I've never had sex before." She looked over at him shyly waiting for his reaction.

Daryl felt like somebody had punched him in the gut. Leave it to Beth to get right to the damn point. Every single time. He looked at her in surprise, not because of what she asked him. They had already talked about all that. He was just surprised that she was bringing it up now. She never ceased to amaze him. He liked the blush that had crept into her cheeks; it looked good on her. It was endearing and sexy all at the same time. Daryl resisted the urge to lean over and kiss her, but he knew in the context of the situation, it might lead somewhere they were nowhere near ready for. "Two out of three?" He asked her instead, unable to resist the temptation of the pleasant sexy banter they had going between them. It charged the air between them.

She nodded eagerly, looking out the windshield. "Your turn." She said, rubbing her palms down over her pants nervously. She bit her lower lip a little waiting for his question.

Daryl rubbed his thumb over his bottom lip. He had bitten on it so often here lately he had worn a sore spot into it. This woman was going to be the death of him yet, he thought. "Okay. I've never cheated at a game before." He looked at her pointedly and was secretly pleased with himself for thinking of it.

Her mouth dropped open in protest, but she knew he had her. It was a no-brainer. "Fine. You get that one." She said, crossing her arms over her chest, her mind already going to work on her next question. Lucky let out a little bark from beside them. They both looked down at him. It was odd for him to make any sort of noise, but he was sleeping.

Beth laughed. "He must be dreaming." She whispered although she didn't know why. The dog slept sounder than either her or Daryl.

Daryl chuckled at her pouting. "Not so fast, Princess. You gotta tell me when you cheated." She looked at him like he was dense. "Besides just now I mean". He couldn't help but grin at her. She was cute when she was pouting. Hell she was cute no matter what she was doing. He took a deep breath and waited for her response.

"Okay, yeah, I like to win. I am very competitive." He rolled his eyes as if to say 'no shit' and she sighed and continued. "But it's not my fault"

Daryl raised his eyebrows at her. "Sure it's not." He scoffed. He was rather enjoying this side of Beth and he was happy to have the upper hand for once. She always seemed to know what to say while he had to mull things over for a while.

"No seriously. Maggie and Daddy and even Mama used to let me win at Candyland all the time. They would rig the game and let me get the Queen Frostine card. If you got that card, then you almost always won pretty quickly. I made them play nearly every day the moment I knew what my colors were." She smiled softly at the memory.

Daryl could easily imagine her as a little girl of four or five, surrounded by her family playing a board game that Daryl had heard of as a child but had never gotten to play. He was glad she had the childhood she had. And he loved the look on her face when she talked about it.

"Shawn never let me win. He always beat me. Always. And I hated it." She laughed. "I would scream at him and say "Daddy always lets me win". And he would just laugh at me saying "You gotta learn Bethie that it ain't always about winnin'" She smiled wistfully at the memory, bringing her hand up to finger the locket her daddy had given her when she turned 14. She was so happy she had been able to hold onto it for as long as she did. She shook her head out of her reverie. "Okay my turn. We can't sit at this crossroads all day." She remarked.

Beth thought for a minute and looked up at Daryl from beneath the wayward hairs that had fallen over her eyes. "I've never…..been kissed in the rain." She said and smiled at him shyly. It had always been something she wanted to do. It always sounded romantic.

Daryl just stared at her. He wanted to say "I'll kiss you in the rain." But instead he thought of all the places he wanted to kiss her. In the rain. On the beach at sunset. On a crowded street. In the house that they'd just bought together. The last thought made his breath hitch a bit. Buying a house was something from another life, another time, but he'd like to think if things were different or if this shitty world was ever righted back onto its axis, he'd do it with Beth. "I ain't never done it either." He admitted, his voice gruff. He wanted to tell her that they would try it together but it wasn't like you could plan for something like that.

Beth looked over at him and sighed. She reached her hand over and placed it on his leg. He brought his hand down from the steering wheel and covered her hand with his own. "Well now it's still a tie, she said. I guess I get to go again?" He nodded at her, not trusting himself to speak right now.

"I've never had a job before." She looked at him pointedly, knowing she definitely had him now.

"Yeah, yeah, cheater. You win." He mumbled. But there was no malice in his words. The corners of his mouth turned up in that half smile. She knew he had a job before the turn. Had lots of jobs; all of them odd, but he had worked in his old man's car repair shop for years. They had already talked about it, how he loved working on cars, it calmed his mind while it gave something for his hands to do. "Pick yer place."

She giggled. "Yay. Okay I think we should take the one on the left. It looks interesting."

"'S as good as any." He remarked as he put the camper back in drive and pulled it to the left, heading down the trail marked lots seven through twelve.

The road was full of potholes and Daryl avoided them the best he could, the camper rocking along on the rutted road. The lots were in descending order, starting with twelve. They continued on, seeing a few tents here and there and remnants of camp set-up. So far, they hadn't seen any walkers. There were no cars so it appeared that they had left in a hurry, leaving all their belongings there. Evidently there had been people on vacation here during the height of the turn.

They pulled through, surveying the area and came to rest at lot number 7. Daryl pulled the Airstream into the empty lot, positioning it where he could hook up the water if by some miracle there was a working line. They area was surrounded on three sides by trees and the fourth side had a small field that led out to the lake. This was probably a prime spot back in its day, he thought.

"This looks like a good spot" Daryl said as he put the camper into park and shut it off. He pointed off to the lake where there was a dock with a small boat. "If we get overrun, we can always get away in that." Beth looked at him, puzzled. You ain't never seen a walker swim have ya?" He asked her.

She laughed. "No, they are too stupid for that thank god." She said. "Let's go explore." She said as she opened her door. Lucky perked his ears up and bounded out of the camper, not even giving them a backward glance. She suspected he probably had to take care of some bathroom business. They hadn't stopped all night.

Daryl had the briefest thought that she should wait where she was so he could open the door for her. He figured though she might have something to say about his chivalrous nature and it wasn't really practical anyway. He shelved the thought for later and got out on his own side, shutting the door back carefully. There were birds chirping in the cool morning air but the sun was shining bright. There were very little traces of the snow from Georgia here in North Carolina. It was actually warmer if that could be believed. If he had to guess, they were heading for a beautiful day. The sky was clear Carolina blue and the sun was making its way up in the sky.

Beth turned her face up into the sunlight, loving the feeling of warmth in the cool air. It would be so nice to sit in the sun for a couple of hours. Beth looked over her shoulder as she heard the unmistakable sound of a walker. The groan was coming from her right. She quickly spun around to see one lone walker ambling about, its jaw hanging nearly coming unhinged and it was wearing fisherman gear. She moved forward carefully and unsheathed her knife at her hip, pulling it out and holding it by the handle tightly. As she reached the walker, it hissed and growled at her through its mangled jaw and broken teeth. She wrinkled her nose at the rancid smell; it was something you never really got used to, the stench of walkers. She plunged the knife into its forehead and shoved it backward with her left hand as the force of its fall released her knife from the walkers head and the thick black blood oozing and dripping off the tip of the blade. She reached down and wiped the blade on the dead grass.

Daryl watched her every move. He had wanted to go forward and kill the walker for her but he knew she had it. Where before, at the prison, she had been fighting the walkers from behind the fences and she was good then. But out here in the open with all that he had taught her, she was a force to be reckoned with. She bent over and wiped the blood off her blade; she always did that. Beth, always the neat freak, he thought. He tried to get the images out of his head as he saw her bending over like that. "Stop thinking with your dick, Dixon." He told himself sternly as he walked over to where she had just felled the first walker they had seen since pulling into the campground.

"Guess he got bit while he was fishing. Kind of sad." Beth said as she looked down at the walker. She always saw them as the people they used to be, the lives they used to live. He loved that about her. She saw the beauty in the simplest of things. Because of her, he was starting to do the same.

They walked about their new surroundings and three walkers approached from their left, stumbling out from the trees that surrounded their private lot. He looked at Beth and she nodded at him as they got into fight formation. He hoisted his bow up to his shoulders and aimed carefully, sending a bolt into the head of the first walker.

Beth waited until Daryl fired the first bolt and closed the distance between herself and the other two walkers, sinking her knife into the side of its head, it having been distracted by its fallen comrade on the ground beside her. She pulled her knife back out with a grimace and shoved the walker off to her left and sidestepped it as Daryl reached the third walker and rapid-fired another bolt into its skull, it had hit its mark: right between the eyes. Daryl reached down to retrieve his bolts from the two he had killed and looked up at Beth. "Good job Greene." He said affectionately.

Beth smiled at the praise. It was kind of funny actually. Daryl always called her Beth or Princess when they were alone and at rest doing regular daily stuff. But when they were fighting walkers together, he almost always called her Greene. She kind of liked it.

"We should probably check the area for more of the fuckers" he said and led the way through the trees on the other side of the lot. Beth followed him and they spent the next hour killing each walker they came across, which really wasn't many considering it was a family vacation spot. Beth cringed as she wiped walker guts off her knife. It had been a kid of about the age of ten. She never relished the thoughts of killing someone who used to be human just like her; but putting down walker kids was something that she would never get used to.

She looked over at Daryl who was retrieving his bolt out of the head of another boy, slightly older than the walker she had just taken care of. He was wearing ragged swimming trunks and no shoes, his feet badly mangled in that way that just happened to walkers over time.

Daryl knew what she was thinking. She did what she had to do for them to survive, but he knew she hated killing walkers with a passion. He remembered their fight at the moonshine shack and how she had told him that killing them wasn't supposed to be fun. And it wasn't.

They spent another hour or so gathering up the walkers they had killed and dragging them to the perimeter of the section where their lot was located. They were heading back down the road when Daryl felt the first drop. Over the last couple hours, the sun had beaten down on them and they both had gotten out of breath a couple of times from the warmth of the day and the workout of killing walkers.

Beth pulled a water bottle out of her pack on her back and handed it to Daryl after taking a big gulp. She looked up at the sky. The sun and blue sky had been replaced by thick dark clouds. It looked like the sky was getting ready to open up. "We better get back quick." She remarked as she swiped the back of her hand over her mouth, relishing the feel of the cool water as it slid down her throat.

Daryl drank deeply from the bottle and handed it back to her, but Beth shook her head quickly. "I'm good. You go ahead." He didn't argue and tipped the bottle back finishing it off. Right at that moment, the skies decided to open up and a deluge of rain pelted them. Daryl swung his bow on his back and followed after Beth.

Beth resisted the urge to run towards the camper which was in view now but still a ways off. It was a nice warm rain. A bit of a chill since the sun had gone to hide behind the clouds but it was one of those refreshing rains, even if they were getting soaked to the bone in the process. She knew Daryl was behind her. She glanced over her shoulder at him. He was watching her carefully. She turned to face him as he caught up.

As the rain came down around them, he was getting soaked, his shirt and vest sticking to his skin. And Beth was walking ahead of him, her hips swaying gently with her purposeful walk. He held his breath when she turned around to face him and wait on him to catch up with her. She looked impossibly, achingly beautiful with the rain washing down over her face, her creamy complexion still flushed from all the activity of the past couple of hours.

Daryl glanced around and when he was sure there were no walkers in the area, he took a deep breath and strode to where she stood, closing the distance between them in a matter of seconds.

Beth had been starting to turn away but she paused mid stride when she saw the look on his face. In the look they exchanged, in that moment, she knew to the center of her core what he was about to do. She saw the flash of recognition in his face and she unconsciously bit her lower lip, bracing herself.

Daryl reached for her hand and dropped his bow to the ground beside them in simultaneous movements. He pulled her to him and held her hand with one hand at their sides even as his other arm encircled her waist, pulling her to him and splaying his hand over her back, her shirt heavily damped from the downpour. Her body came flush against him and he brought his lips to hers, crushing her to him. He kissed Beth Greene standing there in the clearing before their camper, right in the middle of the pouring down rain.

Beth's heart felt like it was about to pound out of her chest as Daryl held her and his lips slanted across hers. She opened her mouth willingly as he slid his tongue into her mouth. He tasted like the rain that was falling over their heads and running in rivulets over the skin over their faces and down between their lips. She knew she had never tasted anything better than kissing Daryl in the rain. Her desire for him was warring with the tenderness she felt as he kissed her. He slowed the kiss down to languid soft brushing of his lips against hers. She was so touched that he had made her fantasy come true and it thrilled her that this was a first for both of them. It was sweet and achingly beautiful at the same time.

As she stood there kissing Daryl Dixon in the rain, she knew that all her dreams were coming true. She was head over heels in love with this man. It struck her as odd that she had found something so incredible at the end of the world. But maybe that's what it took sometimes. Maybe sometimes the world had to shift off its axis for its people to realize what was really important. Right now, the only thing important to Beth was this wonderful man. She sighed against him and she didn't know it but her body sighed too. Daryl was showing her how he felt with his lips and she knew that she never wanted this moment to end


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kiss continues. 
> 
> Or maybe it goes someplace else. ;)

Daryl broke the kiss just as the rain slacked off some. He pulled away from her so he could look her in the eye. It had been a spontaneous move and it kind of scared him how much he just lost control. But she had been walking ahead of him and sashaying her hips back and forth. Her clothes had gotten soaked and were clinging to her body in all the right places. He had made sure they were safe first of all and then he had just acted on his emotions. He just knew that he had to kiss her while it was raining and make her wish come true. In this world, they might never get another opportunity for that. He searched her eyes for any doubts and she was smiling up at him sweetly and lazily. Unless he missed his mark, she was very pleased with what he had just done and his heart swelled a little at the thought.

He reached down and rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip. She stared at him wide-eyed while he traced his thumb over the soft skin of her lip, slightly swollen from their urgent kisses, down over her jaw and ghosting down to the hollow in her neck.

"Guess we took care of that 'I Never'" didn't we?" He said gruffly, that voice that he reserved just for these occasions. Beth smiled up at him.

"We did. Thank you." She smiled up at him shyly.

"For what? I wanted to do that just as bad as you wanted me to do it." He said simply, reluctantly dropping his arm from around her shoulders, pulling her sweater up over her shoulder, but it was pretty much hopeless. The rain had made it heavy and misshapen and the only hope it had now was being cast aside to dry. "Let's go get out of these wet clothes". He smiled down at her.

Beth grinned at him and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Yes, let's." She said as she strode forward to walk ahead of him.

"Smartass. You know what I meant." He said but he couldn't even be mildly annoyed at her. It was sexy as hell what she was suggesting and he was barely keeping a reign on things as it is.

Lucky came bounding back to them just as they reached the door. He was soaked too but he at least looked a little bit cleaner, thought Beth. He edged into the camper before them and Beth cringed as he shook himself off as he entered the Airstream. Now it was going to smell like wet clothes and wet dog. Fantastic, she thought wryly. Honestly though she loved Lucky and knew Daryl did too. He just wasn't going to admit it to anyone. If they were ever reunited with everyone, she doubted anyone would recognize the Daryl that she got to see. It made her feel just a tinge of pride that he let his guard down with her.

Daryl closed the door behind him and started the process of removing his boots. Beth went to the back and fetched a few towels from the back cabinets over the bed, bringing two of them to Daryl. He took one and rubbed it vigorously over his head. Beth stopped drying her hair for a moment to watch him while he wasn't paying attention. Something about him standing there, dripping wet from the rain, made her heart do flip flops and other parts of her body were throbbing with need. He shrugged out of his leather vest and reached behind him to pull his shirt over his head, leaving both of them on the table beside the door. He was faced away from her now and her eyes traced a path from his broad shoulders, perfectly muscled and tanned despite the winter weather, down his back. They lingered for a moment over his scars and she longed to reach out and touch them like she had that day at the lake, but she didn't. She was content to just watch him like this. She stood stock still and didn't even breathe for fear that any movement would make him stop and she wouldn't be able to watch him anymore. He was drying off his chest and he bent over for a moment, the muscles in his back rippling from the action. He stood back up and Beth let her eyes wander further south all the way down his back, to his narrow hips and the way his jeans just hung on his hips like it wouldn't take much to push them down over his legs. The thought made her feel weak in the knees. She found herself wanting to cross the space between them and hug him from behind just like she had at the moonshine shack. He wasn't in need of comfort but she was in need of something. She needed to touch him.

Maybe it was the way he looked, all slicked down from the rain, his arms slick with water, the muscles in his biceps jumping with the movements of him drying off. Maybe it was the kisses they had just shared and her lips still tingling from it. Maybe it was the smoldering glances he kept sending her when he didn't think she was looking. As he reached for the button of his pants, Beth must have made a sound because he turned suddenly, looking over his shoulder. The look they exchanged was like nothing Beth had ever experienced. It was like some sort of unspoken agreement. She moved toward him even as he turned to face her.

As Daryl was drying off, he had been thinking he might load up his bow and go out hunting for a bit. They could really use some protein. The canned variety that was stocked here in the camper could only do so much. He heard a soft gasp from behind him and he turned, thinking Beth might have seen something out the window. He hadn't paid much attention to what she had been doing since they came back inside. When he turned to see her staring at him with her mouth parted slightly and her eyes half-lidded, he knew that all his self control was about to be thrown out the window. He could resist Beth when he was wanting her, but seeing the undisguised desire played out on her features, well he was done. She seemed to sense this and headed his way. He stood still, unable to make himself move and really loving seeing the way she had purpose in her stride. When she reached him, she placed her hands on his shoulders and stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. She pulled back to look at him for a minute, letting her fingers trace down over his biceps on each side. She marveled at the hard planes of his arms, all muscle and firmness. She swallowed thickly as she moved her hands to trace over his chest, skimming her fingers over the surface of his pecs and letting her palms graze across his nipples. She heard his sharp intake of breath. "Beth." Was his only whispered response to her exploration.

Beth wondered briefly how he would feel if she placed a kiss on his bare chest and curiosity got the better of her as she dipped her head down and placed a feather light kiss just underneath his shoulder, hovering just above his chest. She smiled to herself as she heard him trying to suppress a groan. Her fingers splayed down across his abdomen and back up again. She loved the feeling of her fingers slicking over his skin. Daryl did not move one muscle as she traced her fingers lightly up and down his chest and his stomach. As she pressed her lips to his chest, he sucked in a deep breath, his breathing becoming unsteady. He could feel himself getting hard in his pants and his erection strained more than ever against his zipper, given the fact that his jeans were molded to every inch of him.

Beth trailed her lips lower down his stomach and back up his chest and she spread small quick kisses across his jawline before finally coming to rest on his lips and he reached back behind her head where her elastic was. He snaked his other arm up around her shoulder and pulled her to him.

He was having a dick of a time getting the damn thing out of her hair. She giggled a bit, sensing his frustration and she reached up to help him. He stilled her hand and turned her around so he could get a better look at the stupid thing. "It's all tangled." He muttered. Her hair was still slightly damp but damn it to hell he wanted her hair out of that damn ponytail. Just as he thought he was going to have to get out his pocket knife and cut the elastic in half, he was finally able to unloop it three times until it fell out into his palm. He laid it on the table beside his shirt and vest.

He ran his fingers through the damp tresses and pushed her hair to the side murmuring "I been wantin' to do that forever". His motion exposed her neck and he dipped his head down, kissing the tender flesh there, right at the nape, instinctively knowing that it would elicit the sound that she made, a half whimper, half gasp and she slumped forward slightly. He ran one hand down over her hair. "I been wantin' to do that forever too" He whispered as he slipped his arm around her waist, holding her against him, her backside pressing into his erection. For once he didn't give a damn if she felt it or not. He held her up as he sucked gently on the skin just below her hairline. She moaned loudly and Daryl moved his hand up the front of her, keeping her pulled fully against him. He began unbuttoning one button at a time on the sweater she favored so much. It was heavy from the rain and kept slipping down over her shoulders anyway, exposing more creamy flesh that his lips ached to explore. He moved his lips to her shoulder and used one hand to push the strap of her tank top down over her arm.

Beth's breathing was coming in slight gasps; they had ever since he had started kissing and sucking on her neck. The area his lips concentrated on must some sort of erogenous zone, she thought. She felt a dampness spreading between her thighs and she badly wanted to touch herself there to ease the pressure.

Daryl slid the sweater off her shoulders, letting it fall in a heap on the floor. He turned her to face him and as he looked into her eyes, he was satisfied to see the desire there, the evidence of it clear in her completely blown pupils. Beth sidestepped the sweater and brought her hands up to the spaghetti straps of her tank top, shoving them down over her shoulders. She looked up at him and it was clear that her intent was to undress in front of him. He could see her nipples hardened with the wet fabric pressing up against them and he knew she wasn't wearing a bra. She had pretty much dispensed with wearing one back on the mountain, citing inconvenience and barbarism and something about feminism. He pulled her closer and skimmed his hands up over her abdomen, listening to her breathing becoming uneven again. He let his hand glide under her shirt, higher and higher until his palm closed over her bare breast. He pushed the fabric up further, exposing one perfectly rounded breast with a pert, pink nipple that was begging to be sucked. He bent his head forward and closed his mouth over the hardened peak, laving his tongue over it and sucking gently. He felt Beth buckling under the force of her passion and he snaked his arm around her back and pulled her up against him even as she leaned back away from him so he could have full access to her nipple. He pushed up the other side of her shirt exposing both breasts. He pulled away from her a bit so he could meet her gaze. She looked down at him, her eyes nearly closed in passion but he could tell she was watching him. "God, Beth, you're so damned beautiful." And she was. He had known it before, but seeing her standing there in front of him, her breasts bared just for his mouth to obsess over. He had never known that she was this stunning and goddamned sexy. She smiled at him sexily and leaned back again, pressing her breasts towards him. He didn't waste any time as he moved his lips over to the other breast and used his tongue and mouth in much the same way. He smiled to himself, feeling her sharp intake of breath.

Beth gave herself over to the sensations of Daryl kissing her bare breasts. No one had ever touched her this way and she found that she loved it. If Daryl kissing her breasts felt this good, she couldn't wait to see what it felt like for him to kiss other parts of her. As much as she was enjoying every minute of it, there was a feeling of urgency inside her that wanted him to hurry up and do something. She strongly suspected that it had something to do with the ache between her legs. She found herself wondering suddenly what his lips and tongue would feel like down there and she gasped, her breathing becoming more labored.

Daryl leaned back for a moment just looking at her laid back, bent over his arm. She had her head thrown back but her eyes were still open. She looked at him curiously and as if making a decision, he moved his hands down to the hem of her shirt, gripping the fabric with one hand and pulling it upward over her head and letting it drop to the floor. Just as he did so, they heard a voice from outside the camper. Beth jerked her head up and looked at him, her mouth forming an oh.

The voice came again. "I said come out with your hands up. We have guns and we aren't afraid of using them. We have your place surrounded" Beth would know that voice anywhere. It was Glenn!

Daryl swore softly. This was going to be a mess, he thought in passing. But now he was thinking on his feet. He looked to Beth, standing there naked from the waist up and he didn't know whether to be relieved that someone had finally found them or pissed off that they had interrupted such a vital moment. He decided he would go with the first and deal with the second later. He threw Beth one of his flannels and she caught it and buttoned it up quickly and quickly jammed her feet down into her boots. Daryl threw on a different flannel, not bothering to button it and pulled his boots back on.

He nodded at Beth and she nodded back as they approached the door. "Glenn?" Beth called.

Beth heard a gasp from beyond the door and then the sweetest thing she thought she had ever heard. "Bethie?"

Daryl threw the door open and they both spilled out, Beth practically tripping over him in the process of getting to her sister. As they descended the steps, Beth wasn't sure who reached who first. Maggie dropped her baseball bat to the ground and tucked her gun back into her pants as Beth hurled herself into her sister's arms.

Daryl looked at Glenn over the two women and they exchanged a knowing glance. He moved forward first, feeling a little awkward given the moment that Glenn and Maggie had just interrupted. Lucky came bounding out of the camper, not wanting to miss out on all the action. Glenn moved to Daryl and was shocked when Daryl hugged him and clapped him on the back. "Good to see ya man" Daryl said. Glenn grasped him for a moment before they stepped away from each other. "You too. God you guys were hard to find. We've been trying to track you since Georgia." Daryl looked at him like he was a little crazy until he remembered all the times he and Glenn had gone hunting first at the farm, then at the prison. He had taught him a few things and he was kind of impressed that he remembered it. Furthermore he must have been a pretty good teacher; they did find them after all.

Daryl and Glenn stepped back for a moment to watch in awe as Beth and Maggie gushed over one another, both of them crying and laughing at the same time and Daryl wasn't sure but it didn't even sound like they were speaking English.

Glenn echoed his thoughts. "Must be some kind of sibling language." He said.

Daryl laughed a bit. It made sense to him except that he and Merle had never had a language all their own. "Must be a sister thing." He remarked.

Maggie and Beth finally pulled away from each other and Maggie looked over Beth's head to Daryl. "Is anyone else with you?" She looked towards the door and eyed the dog warily. He looked deranged and like he hadn't had a bath in at least two years, which he probably hadn't, she thought wryly.

Beth wandered over to Daryl and stood by his side where he was leaning against the camper. She leaned into him just slightly while she pulled her booted foot up and adjusted it slightly. She had pulled them back on so fast, they were slightly crooked. The last thing she needed was a blister. Daryl reached out to steady her, holding onto her arm until she finished what she was doing and letting it linger there. He brushed his hand down over hers and she glanced at him and smiled sweetly.

"Not a single soul." Beth breathed, finally answering Maggie's question, unable to wipe the smile from her face. "What about you guys?"

"Yeah, I got out with Sasha and Bob and then Glenn found us." Maggie looked over at her husband, smiling softly at him, remembering their tearful happy reunion. "There were some other people too. They were heading to Washington. We didn't want to go without you so we backtracked and tried to find you. It seemed hopeless at first but I had to try" Maggie smiled at Beth and stopped, looking back and forth from Daryl to Beth and back to Daryl again. Something was different. She couldn't put her finger on it. She knew they had gotten out together and if they had never run into anyone, her brain followed the natural progression of things. Maggie didn't say anything. She didn't want to in front of Daryl. She liked and respected him and the last thing she wanted to do was to speak out of turn on something she knew nothing about. She shelved the thought for later, focusing instead on the dog laying at their feet.

"What's with Scrappy Doo, here?" Maggie quipped. Beth laughed. They had always loved watching Scooby Doo when they were little.

"We rescued him from this funeral home we holed up in for a couple of days." She looked to Daryl and they both laughed at the expression on Glenn and Maggie's face. "Yeah it was weird, I guess." Maggie just shook her head.

"The group we left and Sasha and Bob are headed to Washington and we are supposed to meet them there. The guy that was with us, Eugene, he is a scientist and he's supposed to know how this whole thing started." Maggie looked at Beth and Daryl as she spoke, glancing at Glenn every now and then for input.

"Eugene had this guy traveling with him and a girl too. The guy was some kind of Army Sergeant." Glenn said. "He looked the part too. We didn't get along when we first met though. He told me that Maggie was most likely dead and I punched him". Maggie stared at Glenn. He hadn't told her this before.

"You punched him?" Maggie laughed. She guessed the fall of the prison had brought them all to a place that they did what they had to.

"Well yeah, he was trying to keep me from finding you." Glenn looked at her tenderly.

Daryl looked back and forth between Maggie and Glenn and he was still acutely aware that he had walked out here right after being interrupted. From the way things had been going, Daryl knew he had pretty much made up his mind about it even if he had protested before. He had never wanted anyone so much in his entire life. He saw Maggie sneaking glances their way but she didn't say anything and she didn't seem upset at all.

Beth finally spoke up again. "We got caught in the rain a while ago. Ya'll mind if I go change?"

"I'm soaked too Bethie. You don't happen to have anything I can wear do you? Or is it just Daryl's shirts?" She couldn't resist the tease and Beth blushed furiously. Maggie was almost sorry she said it. Daryl looked slightly uncomfortable as well and Maggie resolved to find out what was going on as soon as she and Beth were behind closed doors.

Beth felt the blush creeping up on her cheeks, knowing that it was telling, but Maggie and Glenn were bound to find out anyway. Besides, maybe she could ask Maggie a few questions, she thought. "Sure, let's go. You are going to love this camper you guys." She gushed as she led the way up the three steps before opening the door to the camper. As she passed Daryl standing beside the door, she glanced down at him. "Be right back." She whispered and sent him a look that was just for him. She hoped he got the message that they had unfinished business to take care of. How they were going to go about that now that they had company was beyond her. Suddenly Beth thought of the broken sofa and she guessed Daryl would be spending his evening fixing it. Beth supposed she could probably help him out by handing him tools. It was the least she could do, she supposed.

She closed the door behind her and Maggie and crossed to get some dry clothes for them. She paused for a moment to pick up her sweater off the floor and laid it beside Daryl's vest and shirt on the table. Her fingers itched to pick up her elastic and secure her hair in a ponytail but Daryl had worked so hard to get it loose and the look on his face as he let her hair run through his fingers and the way he had told her he had been wanting to do that for a long time; well it still gave her chills now and she shivered a bit at the memory of him taking her hair down and kissing her neck.

She handed Maggie a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt, both a hideous hot pink but it was the only other thing she could find without pulling absolutely everything out.

"Pink, Beth? You know I hate pink?" But she just smiled. She was so happy to see her sister that she would wear a potato sack just to sit and talk to her like she had been longing to do over the past couple of months.

Beth giggled at Maggie's distress over having to wear pink in a zombie apocalypse. She decided to leave the flannel on and worked her jeans down over her legs after removing her boots. The jeans were hopelessly stuck to her skin and she wondered briefly what Daryl would have done when he removed them. The thought made her breath hitch. She was going to have to dispel these thoughts until she and Daryl were alone again, she thought. She pulled on a dry pair of panties, some silky things she had found in the back of the camper, the tags still attached. Then she pulled her spare pair of jeans up over her legs and fastened them. She donned a pair of tennis shoes instead of her boots, not really wanting to try to fit the soaked and shrunken leather back over her feet. She smoothed the shirt over her and left it un-tucked. It swallowed her nearly whole but she loved the feeling of Daryl's shirt against her skin. It smelled like him; faint musk with hints of forest and rain mixed in.

Maggie looked around the cabin of the Airstream after she was changed into her dry clothes. She laid her wet clothes by Beth's and Daryl's. It was kind of strange seeing their clothing lying together on the table and as she glanced about she only saw one bed and the sofa. "Does the sofa pull out to a bed?" Maggie asked as she fingered the books on the shelves above the table.

"Yeah it did. It's kind of broken." Beth looked at Maggie, sending her a pointed glance. She wanted to tell her everything and she hoped that Maggie was going to receive it well. She didn't think she would have any issues with it. She might have to adjust to the idea but she was pretty sure she knew her sister well enough to know that she wouldn't really care about something as silly as an age gap or their different backgrounds. They'd all been through too much together for petty stuff like that to matter anymore.

"What happened to it?" Maggie asked innocently. It was a pretty nice camper. Looked like it had been gutted and redone, but it was really cool. It looked like it was fully stocked too. "Where did you find this thing? It's cool as hell." Maggie remarked.

Beth wasn't sure if she was supposed to answer the first question or the second. "We found it in the mountains of northern Georgia. Daryl thinks it was some doomsday prepper place. It is stocked with everything you would never even think to bring with you at the end of the world. It's been a godsend." Beth remarked.

Maggie nodded thoughtfully. "We saw you drive in. We had been camping out in the forest beyond the gates. When we saw the camper pull in, we didn't know who was in it, but we couldn't pass up the opportunity at seeing actual people. We have only run into a couple of folks since we left Sasha and Bob and everyone. "

"I can't believe you found anyone. We looked and looked and we didn't see not one single soul." Beth wondered at that for a moment. She wondered if she and Daryl had been separated from the prison together and had been completely alone for the past two months because that was the way fate wanted it to be.

"So tell me, baby sister. What's going on with you and Mr. Suddenly Sunshine out there?" Maggie looked at her sister pointedly and she didn't miss the shy smile that crept up on her face.

Beth opened her mouth to speak, eager to spill about her and Daryl, but then they heard the subject of their conversation outside the camper. Beth looked to Maggie apologetically.

"We can talk later." Maggie whispered.

"You girls gonna stay in there yammering all day? Or can we change out of our wet clothes too?" Daryl called through the door.

"Mr. Sunshine?" Beth whispered to Maggie and they both giggled. "Come on in. We're decent." Beth called out and then blushed as she remembered Maggie and Glenn coming up to the camper just a little while ago when she and Daryl had been anything but decent. If Maggie and Glenn had waited just a few minutes, it was hard to tell what they would have walked in on.

The door opened and Glenn came in first followed by Daryl. Glenn looked around and let out a low whistle. "Quite a place you found here, Dixon." He remarked as he went to sit on the sofa.

Beth and Daryl both called out at the same time. "Wait!" but it was too late. Glenn went crashing through the sofa cushions landing on floor.

"The sofa is broken. I gotta fix it I guess." Daryl looked sent a meaningful look to Beth and she had the good grace to blush and cast her eyes down to the floor.

"I broke it." Beth admitted. "It's a long story." She said laughing and looked at Daryl whose mouth was turned up in a grin. He had sure been mad when she had sabotaged the sofa bed, but he was definitely amused now watching Glenn sputter and try to pull himself up from the awkward position. Daryl finally had pity on him and reached his hand down, pulling him to his feet.

Glenn looked from Maggie to Beth to Daryl and he knew what was going on. He sure as hell hoped somebody told Maggie what was going on. She would kill him if she knew that he knew and didn't say anything. Everyone knew that Glenn was the worst liar in the world. What Daryl had just told him outside still kind of shocked him, but he could see where they would have naturally gotten together. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped himself when Daryl glared at him. They had agreed to let Beth handle telling Maggie. It would sound better coming from her. Glenn really didn't think Maggie was going to be upset about it but he knew she was going to be loud and hysterical and want all the details. That was just Maggie.

Daryl swore to himself as he tried to think of a good way to explain why the sofa was broken without having to involve Beth and her constant tirade to get him to sleep in the same bed. She had won. He just had the sudden realization that they would all be sleeping inside the camper tonight. Glenn, Maggie, Beth and him. And the dog. Let's not forget the dog, he thought. Their night, like it or not, had likely just become a giant slumber party. Daryl inwardly groaned. It was going to be a long fucking night; it just couldn't be helped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who is giving kudos and leaving comments. I appreciate it so much!!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie is dying to know about Beth and Daryl. Glenn has a favor to ask.

Beth cringed as Daryl cursed again. He had been bent over the sofa for over an hour now and he couldn't get the spring that Beth broke in destroying the sofa to cooperate. He had been trying to stretch it out a bit, but it wasn't budging. He threw the spring down into the bowels of the sofa and got up to leave the camper. 

Daryl knew Beth had been sending him furtive glances for the past ten minutes and he glanced at her before he walked out the door of the camper. He knew she had apologized at least ten times for destroying the sofa bed so it really wasn't fair to get mad at her now. He was just generally pissed off. Beth met his gaze across the camper and tentatively smiled at him. And god help him, instead of scowling at her, he winked at her and he felt the corners of his mouth turn up in a smile before he descended the steps of the camper.

Daryl knew what was eating him. If he was really going to admit it, he was on edge because he felt everybody up in his space now. Glenn and Maggie had only been there for a couple hours and it was already too cramped in the tiny compartment of the camper. And if there was one thing Daryl was used to, it was his space. That was one of the things that had been hardest to accept after leaving the prison. When he and Beth had gotten out together, it hadn't taken long for him to realize that he was going to be saddled with someone 24/7. Add to that the bone crushing guilt he felt over losing the prison and letting Hershel be killed and you had one incredibly loose canon.

He stepped out into the cool country air and pulled his pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He pulled one out and fumbled in the inside pocket of his jacket for his matches. His beloved leather vest was still drying out from the downpour earlier. Finally finding the match, he lit the cigarette and pulled off of it deeply, the smoke curling into the back of his throat and then he inhaled deeply, feeling the calm of the nicotine as soon as he exhaled. He walked away from the camper a bit. Beth didn't have any idea of the cigarettes he had found; he planned on keeping it that way. He wasn't sure she would like it or not and he knew if it was something she decided to get a bee in her bonnet about, he would never hear the fucking end of it. She had sass, his Beth. It was one of the things that drew him to her in the first place. She wasn't afraid of him; she understood him. Sometimes he thought Beth understood him better than he understood himself.

He thought of the look they had exchanged in the camper. It had been that way all afternoon with them. They still had a lot to talk about, but hadn't had a second alone so far. Every time he thought about what Maggie and Glenn interrupted, he was equal parts relieved and annoyed. Annoyed for the most obvious of reasons; he had been enjoying every single second of touching Beth, kissing Beth, exploring Beth. He felt himself get hard at the thought and tried to tamp down the thoughts that were making him that way. It was not exactly appropriate to walk around with an erection all day, neither was it comfortable. Suddenly Daryl realized that he had been aroused more in the past couple of months than all the time since the world had gone to shit. He attributed it solely to the blonde vixen who was currently inside, most likely head to head with Maggie, their furious whispers and spurts of giggles punctuating the silence of the camper. Glenn had gone out a little while ago to get some game which really peeved Daryl a little. He had always considered hunting his domain but instead here he was playing handi-man because his girlfriend had a temper tantrum and went postal on a sofa bed.

Girlfriend? Daryl drew deeply off his cigarette while that term bounced its way around his brain. He wondered when his subconscious had bestowed that title upon Beth. He wasn't even really sure that was a term that made sense anymore, not that it ever had to Daryl. He had never really had a girlfriend before. With Merle there had always been a steady stream of girls but those girls had only been good for one thing and for the most part they had been skanks. He was doubtful that a girl he drunkenly serial-fucked every now and again for a few weeks and then forgot about counted as being a girlfriend. He barely remembered any of those encounters. Just lots of alcohol, sweaty bodies, a lot of grunting and then it was over. He had never stayed with any of them and he made sure to never bring them back to his place. Thinking back over that part of his life seemed to Daryl like it had happened to a different person. He guessed in most ways, it had. He certainly wasn't the same person he was before the turn. He didn't think anybody was. You couldn't go through something like that and not have it profoundly change you. He probably wasn't even the same person that left the prison a couple of months ago. He knew that Beth was responsible for the change in him. And he wasn't even sorry really. What was more, he could see the subtle changes in her. She might have been more of that girl from the farm when they barely escaped with their lives, but she bore very little resemblance to that girl now. If Daryl really thought about it, gone was all the innocence from Beth's eyes. She was more a woman now; he wasn't sure if it made him feel better about crossing the line with her or not.

 

"Seriously Bethie, you gotta tell me what's going on with you and Daryl." Maggie pried. Her sister was being very tight-lipped about whatever was happening with her and the rough and tough Daryl Dixon. Sure she knew Daryl had a soft side, everybody knew that. Of course, you didn't tell him that. Maggie kind of thought might be akin to prodding a wounded animal. You would probably get bit. Not hard; just enough to tell you to back off. If she hadn't witnessed their interactions with one another, she would have never even had the thought that the two of them could be together. They were a very unlikely couple but now that she had seen them interact, it made perfect sense. Beth, with all her softness and her lost innocence and the pain from losing their parents and Daryl with his rocky past, it just fit. Maggie had seen the glances when they thought no one else was looking. Then there was the easy way Beth just kind of "handled him". He could be so surly at something and one look from Beth and it was like all the fiery anger melted away. She had seen the touches too. The way she would lean into him when they were sitting together or the way he would reach out and brush her hair back from her face.

Maggie looked expectantly at her sister who was blushing furiously under Maggie's gaze.

"Maggie, it's really hard to explain." Beth began. Her sister had been pestering her all day for details about her and Daryl's relationship. They kept getting interrupted. But now that Glenn was off hunting and Daryl had stormed off while trying to fix the sofa, she knew she was going to have to start spilling. She grinned at her sister. "I know it might seem weird to everyone else, but we just," Beth paused, holding her hands out in front of her, trying to put into words what she and Daryl were. She began again, "we just really care about each other." She groaned. None of this was coming out right.

Maggie laughed at her sister's discomfort. She knew the look well. She had done the same thing when she and Glenn had met. "Oh you got it bad!" She said with undisguised glee. "But that's okay; he's got it bad too." Maggie said smugly.

Beth's eyes snapped up to her sisters. "Really, you think so?" Beth respected Maggie's opinion for sure, but she was dying to get someone else's perspective on the whole thing. Beth had only been inside her own head about the whole thing since the funeral home and now that she had this opportunity to gush and analyze the situation, she was not going to pass it up. She knew Daryl loved her; he had all but said it but trying to get into his head was like trying to pull teeth.

Maggie rolled her eyes. "You don't know?," she asked her sister. She was the smartest girl she knew but about stuff like this, she could be really dense.

Beth just shook her head and sighed deeply. "I mean we've talked about it some, but we get interrupted a lot." Beth stated.

"Interrupted by what? The birds? You said yourself that you guys hadn't come across anyone since we left." Even Maggie could not bring herself to say the words. The loss of the prison and their family was something none of them would ever get over.

Beth shook her head. "No smarty pants. We get interrupted by walkers all the time. Circumstances." Beth said and then she thought of all the times Daryl had put the brakes on things. "Even Daryl himself!" She blurted a little too loudly and clamped her hand over her mouth, remembering that he had just walked outside a few minutes ago. She didn't know if he was in earshot or not but she definitely didn't want him to overhear what she and Maggie were talking about now. She really needed someone else's opinion.

Maggie's eyebrows shot up at that one. "He interrupts?" Now she was confused.

Beth shook her head. "Never mind. Even you and Glenn interrupted us." Beth said with the annoying flush creeping up on her skin again.

"We did?" Maggie squeaked then her eyes went wide at the implications. "Elizabeth Anne Greene!" She knew her sister was no longer a baby. She had grown up a lot over the past few years, faster than Maggie had to. She thought probably in a lot of ways, Beth was way more mature than Maggie had been at her age.

"Wait!" Beth breathed. She thought she heard Daryl outside the door. He came sauntering back in the camper just then.

Maggie wanted to scream when she saw Daryl in the doorway. She liked him just fine but she was dying to know what was going on. It was nearly killing her not knowing. Maggie looked to Beth. "This conversation is not over, little sister." Maggie was grinning from ear to ear.

Beth nodded at her, the crimson in her face heating up further.

"Ya'll hens finished gossipin' in here yet?" Daryl said, but there was no bite in his words.

Beth walked over from where she and Maggie had been preparing a simple stew over the kerosene stove. If Glenn ever got back with some squirrels, it was promising to be a pretty good supper as far as meals went.

"Honey I'm home!" Glenn called from the door. He held up a string with three squirrels, the pride obvious in his features.

Maggie walked over to the door and planted a kiss on her husband's lips. "Great work honey. You gonna clean 'em? Me and Beth can add them to the stew if you hurry."

Glenn kissed Maggie back briefly and nodded at her. "Yeah, I'll go get them skinned and bring them back in a few minutes. Hey Daryl, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Daryl glanced at the Asian, wondering what he needed to say that he didn't want the ladies to hear. He shrugged his shoulders. "Sure I'll be right there." He tossed down the wrench he had retrieved from the toolbox after he finished his smoke. Glenn turned and left and Daryl walked over to where Beth was standing. He eyed Maggie warily but she just kept grinning at him that goofy grin of hers.

Beth turned from the pot of stew where she had just added a healthy sized can of potatoes and smiled up at him. She turned to face him, the stew momentarily forgotten.

Daryl looked a little uncertain standing there in front of her but he reached his hands out and lightly grasped the soft fabric of the flannel, where the buttons were fastened, in his hands. "You look good in my shirt." Was all he said and it was whispered so low Beth didn't think anyone had heard but her.

Beth's breath caught in her throat at the way he was looking at her, like he wanted to unbutton the very item he was speaking of. She bit her lower lip unconsciously as the perpetual blush crept up on her cheeks again. "I like wearing it." She admitted shyly, acutely aware of her sister's presence. She was pretending to be busy shuffling the deck of cards that was lying on the table. Beth knew better. She knew she was listening to every word, even if she couldn't make out what they were talking about. 

"I'll be back in a bit. Gonna go see what Glenn is up to." He said in his gravelly voice. Beth was getting used to all the tones that Daryl's voice had to it. Even though his words were completely benign, his tone reminded her of earlier today when he had been telling her he thought she was beautiful. She sighed and smiled up at him, not really trusting herself to speak. Her heart was fluttering in her chest, all the emotions rushing through her at once; desire, love, and nervousness over what was coming next. She stepped a little closer to him, bringing her hands up to his chest, resisting the urge to run her hands over the planes of his muscles that showed in his still unbuttoned shirt, their shoes now touching as she leaned against the counter behind her.

Daryl was acutely aware of Maggie's presence but so far she seemed pretty okay with everything even though he didn't think she knew the whole story yet. He had heard them giggling while he was finishing his cigarette and he was pretty sure he was the topic of conversation. Normally that would be something that would anger him, but this was Beth and her sister. He just didn't see red as much as he used to anymore. He took a sharp breath inward as Beth brought her hands up to fan out her fingers over his chest. He reached his hand up and brushed Beth's hair back from her face, winding his hand gently in her long blonde tresses, loving the way it fell over her shoulders now that he had freed it from her perpetual ponytail. As he held his hand against her head, she leaned into his touch slightly and he dipped his head down to brush his lips against hers in a chaste but sweet kiss. He dropped his hand from her hair, not really wanting to let her go but business needed to be tended to. He felt a little thrill at the look she sent him as he broke away from her.

Beth could not believe that Daryl had just kissed her in front of her sister. She watched him leave and brought her fingers up to her lips, unable to hid the smile behind her hand. As far as kisses went, it wasn't the hottest one they had ever shared, not by a long shot, but the tenderness in it and the way he had fingered the fabric of his flannel; her heart was beating in her chest and she felt the butterflies start their dance in her tummy. As Daryl closed the door to the camper, Beth collapsed against the counter and glanced to her sister who was looking at her with her mouth hanging open.

"God Bethie. How do you keep your hands off him?" Maggie breathed. Don't get her wrong, she loved her husband. But damn, that was a fine specimen of a man and there wasn't anything wrong with looking. She and Glenn weren't the jealous types.

Now it was Beth's turn for her mouth to drop open. "Maggie!" Beth tried to be shocked but who was she kidding. She took a deep breath to steady her quivering nerves. "God it's hard Mags." She said instantly realizing her mistake, feeling her face turn even redder.

"I bet it is hard." Maggie collapsed in a fit of giggles.

Beth playfully smacked her sister on the arm. "Not that! God Maggie, you are so freakin' perverted!" Not that Beth was surprised. Maggie had always been this way. And when she and Zach had started dating, she had gone to Maggie asking about birth control and Maggie had been a little shocked then but once she realized that she had no right to be upset over such a natural progression of things, especially in their world. Of course, still all she and Zach had done was share a few kisses and a couple of attempted gropes on his part. But Beth had never really been able to feel passionate about Zach. She squelched the bit of sadness that had crept up in her mind. They had never been meant to be, but she still was sad about the way he died. No one should have to die like that.

Beth sighed. "I've missed you so much Maggie." She looked at her sister, serious now.

Maggie sighed and knew what was coming next. She knew they needed to talk about their dad. Maggie felt her eyes welling up with tears. "Daddy would approve ya know." Maggie spoke softly, sending a pointed gaze at her baby sister. They both knew they were talking about her and Daryl. They were sitting on the floor of the camper, letting the stew simmer.

Beth gasped a little when Maggie said that and Beth couldn't keep it in any more. She had grieved for her father sure, but this was her sister, the only person in the whole world who knew exactly how she felt. "I know." Beth breathed the tears falling freely. She swiped at her eyes with the sleeve of Daryl's shirt. "I think the same thing," Beth said. She knew without a doubt that her father would be happy that she had someone to love and someone to take care of her. He would be even happier knowing that man was Daryl. He had held him in high regard. It made her feel better knowing that her sister felt the same way she did. In thinking about her dad and missing his wisdom, Beth let the tears flow down her face. "I miss him so much Maggie." Beth's voice broke on a little sob then.

That's all it took for Maggie to lose control over the sadness that she had been pushing down for the past couple of months. Hearing the pain in her sister's voice echo so perfectly the enormous ache that threatened to crush her chest propelled her forward as she and Beth just clung to each other, much like the day that Beth had tried to end her own life. They sobbed in each other's arms for several aching minutes, finally pulling themselves back and wiping at their tears, the only sound in the whole camper their breathing as their cries subsided into soft hiccups.

"God we're a mess." Maggie said, laughing a little.

Beth laughed too. "Yeah, a snotty mess. I hate crying." Beth swiped at her tears and got up to get a box of Kleenex from the counter, handing it to Maggie as she sat down. Beth blew her nose softly.

"I miss him too Beth. But I don't think he would have made it out even if that bastard hadn't done what he did." Maggie looked at Beth, her expression pained.

"I thought the same thing, Mags. It was so crazy when we left. We barely got out alive." Beth breathed, remembering the terror of that day. Both Greene girls knew that their father, while strong, would never have likely made it out alive with his leg and all. "We saw Molly's shoe." Beth shuddered at the memory of the little girl, originally one of the Woodbury people. She and Daryl had come across that group of felled walkers and the shoe popped up in Beth's memory every now and again, a stark reminder of everything that they had lost. Neither one ever mentioned Judith; it was sacred territory in all their's minds. 

"We found the bus. Me and Sasha and Bob." Maggie's voice was barely above a whisper as she remembered that day. She had torn through the entire bus, needing to make certain that Glenn wasn't on it. She shivered at the thought she had of finding him turned or dead. She wasn't sure which would have been worse, knowing that he had turned into a monster or being devoured by one. "It didn't look like anyone made it." Maggie said. She and Glenn had talked about it many a night at camp trying to piece together events that occurred when they were separated but everyone had gone so scattered after the prison that it was hard to make sense of them. It was like opening a brand new puzzle and discovering that half of the pieces were missing. She couldn't make a clear picture of any of it.

"It must have been hard being away from Glenn all that time." Beth looked to her sister, the pain etched on her features.

"You have no idea. I thought I was going to lose my mind, Beth." There was silence between them for a few minutes as they both contemplated all the things that had happened to them, together and separately.

"Look at us. We're pathetic." Beth said, running a shaky hand through her hair.

Maggie laughed and reached over to smooth down Beth's hair. "When did you start wearing it down? It looks good on you." Her sister had sure grown up a lot since they had last seen one another.

"This morning?" Beth's faced wrinkled up cutely.

Maggie saw that familiar blush creeping up on Beth again. "Okay now sister, the men folk are outside. It's time to spill." Maggie's tone barred no arguments.

Beth took a deep breath and started. "Well when we first left the prison, he was the same Daryl as always." She rolled her eyes for effect, knowing her sister would know what she was talking about.

"Surly? Grouchy? " Maggie asked knowingly.

"The worst!" Beth said exasperated, thinking back to those days after they fled the shattered safety of the prison's walls. "Most days, I really wanted to kill him! We had been trekking through the woods for days and I had wanted a drink." She glanced at her sister, hoping she wasn't going to give her hell over the alcohol.

Maggie didn't even blink. Not much fazed her since the Governor and his men had waged war against them. "Go on" She encouraged.

"We were at this golf resort and I finally found a bottle of Peach Schnapps. Only I couldn't do it. I was still a mess then. But then Daryl got mad and walked over and slammed the bottle against the floor." Maggie raised her eyebrows at this. "It's not as bad as it sounds. It's actually kind of cute. He told me that my first drink shouldn't be Peach Schnapps." She smiled a little at the memory.

"I always knew Daryl was a smart guy. Peach Schnapps is gross." Maggie said knowingly.

"Well then we found this old shack. It was full of moonshine." Beth grimaced then, remembering the awful taste and the burn as it slid down the back of her throat.

"That's a big jump; Peach Schnapps to moonshine." Maggie observed. "But yeah, moonshine is a real drink. So did you guys get drunk together?" Maggie asked.

"If you'd quit interruptin' I'd be able to tell ya everything." Beth looked at her sister and grinned when she stuck out her tongue. But at least it shut her up.

"Yeah we got drunk. We played 'I Never' like Mary Ann and Katie used to do at parties all the time." She said, knowing Maggie would remember what she was talking about. She continued, "It was awful. I kept asking him the wrong thing and he got all pissed off and dragged me outside to kill walkers, manhandling me in the process"

Maggie's jaw dropped open, but she didn't utter a word at Beth's glance. "Yeah, I know, I was angry. He was really drunk! But I was too, to be honest. And we just started arguing, really arguing. I called him out on his surly-ass attitude." Beth skipped over the part where she had told him she remembered about the barn. She didn't want to bring that up to Maggie as that involved her too and the last thing she wanted to do was to bring up something so painful that her sister may have worked past.

"He broke down then Maggie." Her voice was barely above a whisper. It had nearly killed her that day, watching big strong, gruff Daryl Dixon break down in front of her and cry. It had never been more evident the pressure he put on himself to protect the group. It nearly destroyed him as much as it did her with everything they lost. "Something broke then. We talked afterwards about…everything. " Beth didn't know it but her eyes took on a dreamy quality. "We stayed up half the night drinking moonshine and spilling our secrets." She didn't say anything to Maggie about them burning the house down that night. That seemed something that was sacred between her and Daryl, something just for them. "After that, everything was completely different. He's different." She said wistfully, fingering her locket around her neck.

"So that doesn't tell me anythin' about what me and Glenn interrupted this morning." Maggie said, her tone teasing but accusatory. Her eyes were narrowed.

"We haven't done it yet, Maggie." Beth admitted shyly. "We were kissing….and stuff. Then you and Glenn showed up."

Maggie groaned loudly. "Aw, damn! I'm sorry Bethie." Her tone was truly apologetic. "So wait, what have you done then." Maggie was in awe of her sister and her story, but more so she was in awe of Daryl and the fact that he had not taken advantage of her sister. He certainly had ample opportunity; that was evident. It gave her a whole new respect for him. She realized now that all the looks she had seen pass over Daryl's face as he looked at her sister were ones of love. "You love him, don't you?" Maggie asked and was so happy to see the happiness that washed over her sister's face as she nodded slowly.

"I do Maggie. I love him so much. I think he loves me too. We haven't said it yet." Beth said. She and Daryl had a hard enough time navigating their relationship. Explaining all this to her sister was somewhat daunting. But the expression on Maggie's face told her that she got it.

Maggie looked at her sister softly. "Of course he loves you. How could he not? 'Sides, it's written all over his face every time he looks at you" Maggie could not help the tenderness that she felt for her baby sister. She would always protect her, always. Now that she knew that her sister was safe, she knew she needed to thank Daryl. She owed him everything and she was fiercely glad he was the one Beth got out with. Who knew what would have happened if she had stayed on that bus like Maggie had thought?

Beth sighed. "It is, isn't it." She said wistfully. She was still getting used to the way Daryl looked at her.

Beth stood up and reached a hand down to help her sister up. Maggie let out a little huff as Beth pulled her to her feet, seemingly with no effort. "You been working out baby sister?" She glanced at Beth's biceps which though her arms were still skinny and gangly the muscle definition was clear.

"Just killing walkers is all." Beth admitted. "I'm not as weak as I used to be." Beth said to her sister, proud of the fact that she could take care of herself now.

"You never were weak, Bethie." Maggie said affectionately. "Somehow I knew you made it out okay. We're Greene girls remember?" They both laughed. It was true. Hershel had raised his girls well; everyone knew that.

"Wonder what Daryl and Glenn are out there talking about. Wish we could eavesdrop." Maggie said and wiggled her eyebrows at Beth.

"Stop. Let them have their guy moment." Beth said. "Daryl hasn't had anybody but me to talk to for months now." She reminded her sister.

"Yeah, Glenn hasn't either since we found each other." They both giggled at that thought. It was a wonder both men hadn't gone insane by now.

Glenn and Daryl worked side by side, dressing the squirrels, careful to leave as much of the meat as possible when trimming the skin away. They were silent at first as they set everything up to get it cleaned. Daryl glanced about every now and then scanning the treeline for any sign of walkers. He noticed Glenn doing the same. He knew Glenn had called him out here for something other than needing company or his help with cleaning a couple of squirrels. It was hardly labor that needed to be divided. He cleared his throat a bit. "So you tracked us up here huh?" Daryl didn't disguise the pride in his tone.

Glenn looked at Daryl, unsure of how to broach the subject he most wanted to discuss, but tabled it for now. "Yeah, it was harder than I remembered you talking about. Plus I had gotten pretty rusty. But when I found Maggie and she told me she wanted to go find Beth, some if it came back to me. We followed a couple of trails that went cold fast. I told Maggie at least a hundred times that I wished I had paid more attention or gone out hunting with you more."

Daryl looked at Glenn thoughtfully. They had all had regrets about the time they had spent at the prison. They had gotten a false sense of security living behind those walls, fooling themselves into thinking that they were untouchable.

"Looks like you did okay to me. How you'd find us though, gotta admit 'M curious." Daryl said as he finished slicing away the rest of the hide of the squirrel. It would be nice to have some fresh meat tonight. They had been eating canned for days now. It never tasted quite the same once it was packed up in the aluminum binding.

"Well I had found a couple of your bolts." Glenn said, looking to Daryl. "Sorry I lost them along the way, though."

"Don't matter. What else?" Daryl asked. He had long since stopped caring about wasting bolts. He had gotten pretty good at making new ones.

"Maggie found Beth's diary back in South Carolina somewhere a few miles back. It was snowing that day so it stood out pretty good on the ground." Glenn remembered fondly the look on Maggie's face when she had found virtual confirmation of her sister being alive. Maggie said she never went anywhere without the thing.

Daryl nodded thoughtfully. He wondered if Beth even knew it was missing. "She'll be glad to have it back" Was all Daryl said.

Glenn knew he had left out a lot, but he was really itching to ask Daryl a huge favor. "I wanted to talk to you and see if you could maybe help me out." Glenn looked at Daryl sideways. Everyone knew how much he and Maggie loved each other. They got teased endlessly about their constant trysts back at the prison. The truth was since they had found each other, they hadn't found even one minute to be together. They had been with the others up until a few days ago and ever since then they had not been able to find any shelter. And out in the open they were so exposed and vulnerable, it had been too daunting to attempt.

Daryl looked at him, his eyebrows raised as if to say 'spit it out'.

Glenn took a deep breath. "Me and Maggie just found each other a couple of weeks ago and we've been with other people for the most part. And it's kind of private up here." He raised his eyebrows at Daryl hoping he was catching his meaning.

Daryl groaned loudly. "Seriously man?" Daryl couldn't believe it. "Ain't you two got enough of each other yet?"

Glenn normally would blush but he was about to die. He and Maggie had talked about it so much he was about to go insane. "Come on man, you gotta help me out." Glenn looked at Daryl pleadingly. "Think about how you would feel if you were separated from Beth for months." He knew it was hitting below the belt, but he was desperate.

Daryl had started fiddling with his bow. He mulled over Glenn's words; the thought of being without Beth for any length of time sent a ribbon of fear into his gut. It was too horrible to even contemplate being away from her, not being able to see her or touch her or see that beautiful smile that lit up every space she occupied. He looked over at Glenn. "When?"

Glenn looked up in surprise. He didn't think he'd get him to agree to it so easily. He nearly collapsed in relief. He reached out and clapped Daryl firmly on the shoulder. "You'll do it?"

Daryl looked at him crookedly. "What exactly is it you're asking me ta do?" He'd really like to hear it.

"Just maybe you and Beth take a walk after dinner. Maybe go play fetch with that deranged dog you have." They both were watching Lucky chase after the rabbits. "Give us like an hour?" He looked to Daryl waiting for his response.

The dog was not a hunter, that was for sure, thought Daryl. Lucky made to catch the rabbit he was chasing now and when he dove, he missed. Daryl shook his head, musing that it might have something to do with his missing eye. Daryl sighed deeply. "'Aight. Does Maggie know you're askin' me this?" He asked Glenn, glancing at him sideways. He wasn't about to get in the middle of some marital squabble between the two of them.

"Well not in so many words, but I kind of caught on to it earlier." Glenn said mysteriously.

"Guess I better get back in there and fix the sofa bed." Daryl said, turning to leave and then he spun back around suddenly. "That means you don't do anythin' in our bed." He warned him and that was something he meant. There was something disturbing in thinking about the alternative.

"So you've done the deed huh?" Glenn was grinning at him now.

Daryl rolled his eyes and rubbed a hand over the scruff on his face. He looked at Glenn and back at the door, weighing his options here. He wasn't one to talk about feelings and shit with anybody, not even with Rick back at the prison and sure as hell not with Merle. But he wondered since Glenn was married to Beth's sister, maybe he had a handle on the mystic minds of Greene women.

"Ain't none of your business if we have." He said gruffly then sighed, his head hanging down and he glanced back up at Glenn, not able to quite meet his eyes. "We were going to this morning." Daryl couldn't believe the words had come out of his mouth.

Glenn laughed outright. "So we DID interrupt something this morning! I knew it! Maggie told me I was crazy. She knew something was going on but she didn't jump right to that. She's blind when it comes to seeing her sister for who she really is." He shook his head. He wasn't sure what Daryl was asking him but he figured he owed it to him to hear him out.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, funny man" Daryl muttered. "Just got me thinkin' is all. It's gonna be crowded at our camp from here on out." He sent Glenn a glance hoping he caught his meaning cause otherwise he was going to have to drag it out of him.

Recognition washed over Glenn's face as he caught the man's meaning. "I hear ya, man. Yeah, we'll have to come up with some kind of system. Maybe if you and Beth are doing the do, you can put a tie on the door or something." He suggested.

Daryl grimaced then. He was not in the least comfortable discussing his sex life, or the lack thereof in this case, with anyone, least of all Beth's brother-in-law. "'S not what I was sayin'" Daryl huffed. "I'm just sayin' me and Beth have only had each other for a long time now. We've gotten used to it. I don't want her feeling uncomfortable about any o' it." He said firmly. Daryl knew on some level that he didn't have a right to ask Glenn to keep his mouth shut about his and Beth's…well whatever the fuck they had going on, especially after all the shit he gave him and Maggie about all their screwing around back at the prison. But Beth was different than Maggie. Things like that were sensitive to her. They were sensitive to him too. It would be better if they just let him and Beth just be. What they had was so new and the last thing Daryl needed was some juvenile high school ribbing to get in the way of him and Beth navigating their relationship.

Glenn looked thoughtfully at Daryl. It always amazed him when he got to glimpse the deep soul that hid behind the growling bear that was sometimes Daryl Dixon. He got what he was saying. They were going to need a little space too, not so much for the physical. "I got your back man." Was all Glenn said.

Daryl looked at him and gave his head a nod. It wasn't much of a response but Glenn got it. They understood each other. In walking back into the camper, Glenn carrying the meat and Daryl carrying something that might work for the springs of the dumb-ass sofa bed, it felt like they had never been separated from the two of them at all. It was just like old times.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment if you like this story. ;)


	13. Chapter 13

Beth sat back after she pushed her bowl away. Her and Maggie's fledgling stew had turned out to be delicious once the squirrel had been added. It was the nicest meal that any of them could recall having since leaving the prison. They all sat back after that, sated from the meal and the sun lowering over the horizon. She had been hoping to get some clothes washed today but she and Maggie had spent too much time getting caught up.

Glenn and Daryl were discussing what they should do next. They all agreed they would leave the day after tomorrow. The campground still had a few walkers ambling about here and there but they were inside at the moment.

"So we can change out driving shifts. If we are careful with our fuel and we don't run into any major road blocks, we should be able to make D.C. by sometime the end of the week" Daryl said thoughtfully as he got up and reached for Beth's plate and placed it with his in the sink. Just a habit he and Beth had picked up from all their time together. He knew that Maggie and Glenn both were curious about him and Beth. Every now and then he would catch one or both of them with sending curious glances towards him or Beth. He was very glad he had the talk with Glenn. It was clear that Glenn had told Maggie to keep her trap shut and he was glad for that too.

He stood near Beth's chair and looked down at her. "You wanna go for a walk, Princess?" Beth looked up at him and put her hand in his, surprised at the term of endearment in front of everyone. Daryl's face had a slight tinge of pink to it, which was adorable.

Beth smiled at him as he pulled her to her feet. "Yeah, I need a walk after all that food." Beth remarked, lacing her fingers with Daryl's.

Glenn and Maggie remained seated and looked at Daryl and Beth expectantly as they were heading out the door.

Daryl retrieved his bow from the floor and slung it over the shoulder opposite Beth. As he walked by the sofa bed, now thankfully fixed, he tapped it with his free hand and glanced at Glenn. He better remember what I told him, Daryl thought. Glenn looked at him and nodded his head as he rolled his eyes.

"You coming?" Beth asked her sister, who was still sitting at the table with Glenn.

Daryl, Maggie and Glenn all erupted into laughter as Beth unconsciously walked into their shared joke from the prison. Beth grinned at them and wondered what they were laughing at. "What did I say?," she said, looking back and forth among the three and shaking her head.

When they finally stopped laughing, Glenn and Maggie looked up at her sheepishly. "It's an old joke from the prison. You know how me and Glenn would go up to the tower sometimes?, " Maggie asked Beth, relieved that she could finally talk to her about stuff like this. Before, she had not wanted to encourage her with Jimmy or Zach. Now that she was with Daryl, though, it would do her some good to get in adult humor. Beth nodded, still smiling. "Rick, Daryl, Carol and them all used to stand down below the tower in the mornings asking if 'we was comin''. Maggie finished, chuckling again.

Beth giggled at that. She looked to Daryl to see if he was going to back up their story. He shrugged. "I ain't got no idea what they're talkin' about." He reached over and squeezed Beth's shoulder gently.

"You know better, you bastard. You were the one always egging it on." Glenn protested. He had given him and Maggie such hell but it had all been in good fun. It was nearly killing him that he couldn't return the favor when it came to him and Beth. "You suck, you know." Glenn said, getting up and clearing the rest of the bowls off the table. Daryl just laughed. It felt good to be able to joke around with people again, he had to admit. Things were still serious; they probably always would be as long as the dead roamed the earth, but it felt really good to talk about something other than killing and strategizing and trying to find food.

"But to answer your question Beth, I think we are gonna stay here. I'm pretty tired and so's Glenn," Maggie stretched for effect. Beth saw right through it. She knew her sister and she knew Glenn. What she couldn't figure out was how in the world they had gotten Daryl to agree to it. She meant to find out.

Daryl went to walk down the steps and pulled Beth along behind him. They stepped out into the rapidly cooling air. "It smells like it's going to get colder." Beth remarked as they strolled along hand in hand, their fingers intertwined. Daryl walked slowly so Beth could keep up in her shorter strides. It set the pace for a nice leisurely walk.

"So you gotta tell me how Glenn convinced you to let them have 'alone time'," Beth looked over at him, an obvious twinkle in her eye.

Daryl glanced over at her, that self-assured smug smile on her face. "I knew you wouldn't waste any time getting that one out." He shook his head at her, grinning.

"I don't know. Honestly I don't. He asked me and he made a point. He said it was really hard on him and Maggie being separated from each other and asked me to put myself in his shoes," Daryl said. They had reached the lake and stood looking out over the water. He sat his bow at his feet, and turned to face her. He gripped her elbows with his palms. She stood there, her head tipped up and sideways, a pensive look on her face.

"I did just that. Put myself in Glenn's shoes and I decided that I really didn't know what I would do if I was separated from you. I don't want to find out." Daryl looked down at her, searching her face for any validation of what he had just confessed to her. Beth realized that he had the same look on his face as he had at the funeral home the night that Lucky came back to them. She felt the same pull on her heartstrings as she had then.

Beth knew exactly how much it had taken for Daryl to admit that to her. "I know I said that'd you'd miss me when I was gone someday. I didn't know then what we were going to have now." Beth confessed. "I have wanted to take back those words so many times, not because they wouldn't be true. But because I don't want to think about us being apart." Beth sighed as she finished, then added. "Ever."

Daryl put his arms around her waist and looped a finger in a belt loop on either side of her pants and pulled her against him, even as he lowered his lips to hers, expressing with his kissing what his talking never could.

Beth gasped a little when Daryl pulled her flush against him. A now familiar ache started in her lower belly and traveled down, feeling like all the blood in her body was headed to that one area. Beth moaned against his lips as he pulled her even closer.

Daryl continued kissing Beth, angling his head to deepen it, while he moved his hands from the waistband of her pants, snaking them slowly around her hips and moving them downward over her ass and squeezing ever so slightly as he pulled her body against his, his erection straining against his pants and he was sure that she could probably feel it.

Beth broke the kiss then, feeling something hard against her pubic bone. She looked up at Daryl, her eyes having gone wide realizing exactly what it was. Daryl looked down at her with undisguised passion. She was in wonder that him kissing her could have that effect on him. She wasn't stupid; she knew what an erection was, she had just never seen or felt one before, well that is until now. It thrilled her and scared her just the tiniest bit, thinking of the logistics of the situation. She bit her lower lip. "I can feel it." She rotated her hips slightly against him experimentally and got the pleasure of watching Daryl's eyes narrow with open passion.

Her voice was barely even a whisper and if Daryl hadn't been standing right in front of her, he would have thought he imagined it. He found he liked the way it sounded, her talking about the evidence of his desire for her. It made him all the harder and he found himself wishing like hell that it was them inside the camper asking for an hour of privacy. He fairly growled and rocked his hips against hers, his body craving friction even as his mind knew for a fact that for what he had planned for him and Beth's first time, it was going to take longer than an hour. He pulled away slowly and groaned in frustration.

"What's wrong?," Beth's voice was all concern.

"I'm glad they found us, don't get me wrong, but they have the worst fuckin' timing." He admitted, looking to her for her reaction.

Beth chuckled as she pulled back away from him and traced her fingers lazily over his chest, loving the feel of the flannel against her skin. As comfortable as the shirt she had on was, she might just start wearing his shirts every day. The domesticity of the thought thrilled her. "They really do, don't they." Beth blushed, remembering that morning. "Daryl?" She asked him, fingering the collar on his shirt as they stood there at the lake.

He looked to her and raised his eyebrows. "Do you think we would have done it this morning if we hadn't gotten interrupted?" She searched his face for any signs of anxiety or doubt.

"If you were okay with it." Was all he said and he looked to her for her response.

"Oh, I was okay with it." Beth said mirthlessly.

Daryl chuckled then. The longer he and Beth talked about what the physical side of their relationship was like and the more time he spent with her, talking to her and kissing her, the more Daryl was starting to realize that Beth was going to be a little minx in bed. He had never had that with anyone and god, she was sexy as fuck. It would take a really long time for them to be able to get to that point, but it was something to look forward to. "Yeah, I was too Princess. But we'll get there again." He leaned down and kissed her on the nose. "You cold?" He asked her.

"A little." She admitted. She had never really gotten rid of the chill after being caught in the rain today. Not that she was complaining. She had gotten to kiss Daryl Dixon in the rain, for goodness sake.

Daryl shrugged out of his leather jacket and pulled it over her shoulders. He grasped the collar, fairly trapping her beneath his grip, and bent his head to hers in a brief kiss.

As Daryl pulled her into the kiss, Beth's fingers went to the bottom of Daryl's shirt and she longed to skim her fingers up over his abdomen and trace her way up where she loved to explore the planes of his muscles. She still remembered how his smooth skin had felt beneath her palms. She would have to completely undress him to properly explore him the way her body was commanding that she do right at that moment. She groaned and dropped her hands and broke the kiss. She thought she finally understood the phrase sexual frustration.

Daryl pulled back from her, looking into her eyes. "What is it?" He whispered. The dark was closing around them and he knew they were going to have to go back inside soon. He just hoped like hell Maggie and Glenn were done screwin', he thought.

Beth drew in a shaky breath. She had never felt this way before. She knew what she wanted and she couldn't have it. "This sucks." Beth sighed.

Daryl chuckled. "Is that what it is? You're mad cause we can't do what they're doin," He asked, his eyebrows raised at her. He couldn't help but tease her a little bit. Who knew that Beth Greene would be so open about what she wanted sexually, he thought.

Beth nodded miserably and Daryl laughed and pressed a loud, wet kiss to her lips. "C'mon. We gotta get inside 'fore the forest starts waking up with the dead." He murmured against her lips before pulling away to lead her back to the camper. "Don't worry, we'll get our chance." Daryl never said something that he didn't mean. He meant this. He might have started out trying to resist her and do the noble thing, but she had worn down all his arguments, and forced him to see things her way. He was done trying to convince himself that this wasn't what he wanted. He wanted her. He loved her. He wasn't going to pretend anymore that he didn't. The thought was freeing and he knew for a fact that if it wasn't for Glenn and Maggie, he'd be carrying Beth into the Airstream and making love to her from dusk until however long it took for him to convince her that he could handle what she was offering him, which was something wonderful, something beautiful. He had no idea what she saw in him; she kept telling him that this was what she wanted too. There was only one tiny problem with the whole scenario, thought Daryl. Daryl had no fucking idea what he was doing. Not having ever had a steady girlfriend, he didn't have a clue what it was that made a woman tick. He had an idea because sure he had watched enough porn back in the day. He knew when it came to some things, he and Beth were just going to have to learn together. He was looking forward to each and every minute of it.


	14. Chapter 14

Maggie and Glenn had the first two driving shifts and it was going agonizingly slow. They had to keep getting out and clearing the road. Daryl was starting to think that they might be better off going on foot. They were planning on stopping in the next town and seeing what they could find. Being on the main road made everyone nervous and they needed to get some guns and ammo if they were going to survive the trek North to the Alexandria Safe Zone that Maggie and Glenn had filled them in on. It sounded too good to be true to Daryl. A place where they might be able to find an end to this mess and an added bonus that it was a safe place to just be.

After all the events over the past few years, it was hard to imagine being able to go back to not having to kill walkers everyday, worry about food and shelter; the basics that they had always taken for granted before the turn. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts, and trying to concentrate on the hand he had just been dealt. He and Beth were playing poker and he was pretty good at it but what surprised him was that she was pretty good too.

It was annoying that they kept getting interrupted but he figured it was probably for the best. Money was useless now and Beth had wiggled her eyebrows suggestively when he was trying to think of another thing they could play for. He had just narrowed his eyes at her and chuckled lowly. Now they were playing for favors of the winner's choosing, nothing really sexual, just having to skin the next rabbit or squirrel they caught, a kiss, a hug; innocuous stuff really. So far he had placed two bets and she had raised him and now it was his turn to place his bet or fold. He was pretty confident that he had a winning hand. The likelihood of her having something that would beat his straight flush was extremely unlikely.

"I see you and raise you one favor," he said as he held his cards with one hand and chewed thoughtfully on his thumbnail waiting for her to make her move.

Beth was trying so hard not to show the glee as she drew her next card. A ten of hearts to go with her King, Queen, Jack and Ace of the same suit. She looked at him seriously and directly in his eyes. Her Daddy had always told her she had an excellent poker face and she was doing her best to put it to good use right now. "I see you and raise you two favors."

Daryl swore softly under his breath. She either had the best poker face in this world or she was holding a hell of a hand. "Okay, I'm callin' it". He laid his cards out then. "Read 'em and weep, Princess." He laid out his straight flush on the table.

She looked at him and her eyebrows raised in surprise and he felt a brief flash of satisfaction. "Ha, you owe me some favors now. This is gonna be interesting. I'm thinking I might go catch me another mud snake and have you skin that," he said almost gleefully. He sat back in his chair at the table and waited for her to lay down her hand.

Beth glared at him. He knew full well how she had felt about the snake he had caught, stripped bare of skin and roasted over the fire. The worst part was that he had sat there and ate like an oversized chicken leg; so disgusting.

She thought about keeping him going for a little bit so she could really rub it in, but instead she sat back too, observing him and suddenly the corners of her mouth turned up like a Cheshire cat. "Oh I think it's your turn to cry, darling." She said as she laid out her royal flush. She flashed a little look of satisfaction his way.

Daryl's jaw dropped open. He had just been hustled. By a girl, no less. "You little minx. Remind me not to play poker with you again." He muttered. But he had a hard time being really upset; she looked so damn cute with that self-satisfied smug look on her face.

"I gotta admit, that was a fun thing to watch," Maggie called from the front seat. She had turned in her seat to watch the last part of the game. "Bet she didn't tell you she can beat anybody literally hands down, did she?" Maggie gushed, shooting a prideful look at her sister.

Beth smiled back at Maggie and gave her that "thanks for not ratting me out" sister look.

Daryl looked from Beth to Maggie and back to Beth again. "You really did hustle me," he said incredulously, smiling at her. Maybe it was because he was surprised. Or maybe because he was happy doing something as mundane as playing poker with her. Maybe even because she had beat him at poker. He leaned over and impulsively pressed his lips to hers, placing one hand on either knee.

Beth was surprised when Daryl met her lips. It took her a moment to steady herself. He deepened the kiss slightly then all too soon, he dragged his mouth from hers and sat back. "That's for hustling me, ya wench." He said, his eyes still dark with passion.

"Doesn't seem like much of a punishment to me," she whispered. She was deliberately baiting him.

Daryl didn't bite; maybe if they were alone he would have accepted the challenge that her eyes seemed to beg for. Instead he sat back. "So I guess that means I owe you some favors, huh." He said low so no one could hear him but her, squeezing her knee with his hand.

"God, will you two get a room!" yelled Glenn from the driver's seat.

Lucky looked up from beneath the table and let out his little ruff as if trying to get his two cents in.

"Man I warned ya." Daryl yelled to the front. ""Sides we had a room, somebody defiled it." Daryl bit back, looking over to Beth who was laughing openly.

His face broke into a smile then, knowing he had been bested in every way.

Daryl groaned. "I knew I'd live to regret playing poker with you," Daryl muttered but Beth knew he was only kidding. He suddenly thought to when they had drank the whiskey that night and she had asked him to play strip poker. He wasn't sure if he was glad or not that they hadn't played; if she had beat him then, who knew. He tabled the thought for later.

They didn't have a chance to further the discussion however because Glenn had sworn and come to a stop. They were right before an exit on the highway. The highway was completely impassible ahead of them, walkers and dead bodies littering the road and a wall of cars for as far as the eye could see. Their only choice was to head down the exit. Daryl got up from where he was sitting and grabbed the map off the table. They had scavenged the check-in office when leaving the campground and found a few more flashlights and batteries along with several maps of North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

He spread the map out on the table, while Glenn tapped on the steering wheel. Maggie was turned in her seat. "What's our best bet?," she trusted Daryl's judgment. Since she had known him, he had gotten them out of more scrapes than she could count. He had excellent instincts; if she had to choose between a GPS and Daryl Dixon, she would pick him every time.

Daryl traced his finger up the map, trying to decide on a good route. "If we take this exit towards Lincolnton, we can find the 504 up to Salisbury. I'd like to steer clear of any of the bigger cities if we can, even though it's temptin' to head on to Greensboro. I know they got a big tank farm there." He finished.

Glenn put the camper back in gear and made the rocky way down the exit ramp where it was surprisingly clear. There were fallen walkers all along the side of the road. It told Daryl that somebody had put them down. The thought filled him with dread. The only thing worse than walkers was people they didn't know. Strangers who could end their life at any moment. People like The Governor, he thought with a shudder.

He kept the map on the table and directed Glenn which way he should turn next. Glenn turned the camper to the left when he got to the end of the exit ramp. The sign pointed to Lincolnton and there was a green sign that denoted fuel and lodging. With any luck maybe they could find someplace to get supplies. He just didn't want to risk going into an insanely large town to do it.

"What's a tank farm?," Beth asked, genuinely curious.

"It's a place they keep huge tanks of gasoline. It's part of the pipeline that runs through the eastern seaboard," Daryl knew it would be too risky to try to maneuver the large city surrounding it no matter how tempting it was to refill all the gas cans they had and maybe even add to it, ensuring that they didn't at least have to worry about that on their way to D.C. Of course that was even provided that they got to keep the camper. They had lost more vehicles than they could even remember. Of all the things they had lost, Daryl would be lying if he didn't admit that he missed his bike the most. "Don't matter none though, it's too dangerous."

Beth nodded and looked out the windshield. They drove for twenty more minutes before seeing the sign for the small town of Sassafras. It wasn't much as far as towns go, but it was bigger than her hometown of Senoia, Georgia. Glenn carefully pulled the Airstream onto the main street of the town. She felt nervous all the sudden. In all the months they had been on the road since the prison or even before, they tried to stay away from towns except for supply runs.

Daryl pointed ahead. "There's a Gander Mountain up there." With any luck at all, they could pick up some more gas cans and guns and ammo. He was hoping that no one else had totally looted the place.

Glenn nodded and steered the Airstream ahead until they reached the desolate parking lot. Whenever it had hit bad here, it must have been at a time they were closed. There were no cars in the parking lot at all. The town actually looked a little deserted and almost unaffected by the turn. Something in Daryl's gut clenched then. Nothing seemed quite right. There were no walkers ambling about at all. He reached for his crossbow and made sure his bolts were loaded, feeling his fingers twitching at the thought of having to use it. He had never been afraid of a fight before, but with Beth beside him and everything at stake, he was more than a little nervous thinking about her getting hurt. He looked at her to see that she had unsheathed her knife from its holster. Something like pride washed over him then; he kept forgetting that she was pretty good at taking care of herself. He had witnessed it on more than one occasion.

Beth felt Daryl looking at her and smiled at him softly. He had gotten his bow and was fingering the bolts like he always did when he was contemplating something.

They all headed for the door of the camper and stepped out onto the pavement. Daryl made to shut the door and saw Lucky standing there wagging his tail expectantly. Daryl reached down and pat his head. "Not this time, buddy. You stay here and guard the camper," He closed the camper door and turned to join the others to find that they were all staring at him, except Beth. Hers was more of a loving gaze.

"You're talkin to a dog?" Maggie asked. "Didn't peg you to be the dog whisperin' type," she said, tongue in cheek. Glenn chuckled a little bit.

"I like dogs; this one just had to prove himself is all," Daryl said, looking away for a moment. He was glad that shut 'em up. Despite his best intentions, Lucky had grown on him. He hadn't really been surprised when he had. He had grown up with dogs his whole life. A lot had been mutts but his old man had preferred Basset Hounds, didn't know or care why. He had loved those dogs, every one of 'em. But one in particular he had taken a real liking to and the dog had loved him too; Ivan. Had followed him everywhere and hid out when the old man was on one of his benders. One night when his father had found the two of them hiding out in the closet, he had pulled the dog out by his ear. Daryl could still hear the dog's yelps. But after that, Ivan had just stood there, haunches up as his father then dragged Daryl out by his shirt, getting his fist out to pummel him. Ivan had growled and bared his teeth. For whatever reason, his father had backed away that night. But about a week later, Daryl had come home from school and Ivan was gone. His dad had told him he probably had run away from Daryl on account he was such a bad kid. Daryl spent the next four nights crying himself to sleep silently praying that his father or even Merle didn't hear him. He shook his head to clear the awful memory.

"Lucky saved us once, didn't he Beth?," he looked to her for support. She was watching him with an intense gaze.

Beth was convinced more every single day that there were more sides to Daryl Dixon than even she knew. He had the most tender expression on his face when he had turned away from the camper. "He sure did," Beth beamed. "We were at this store on a supply run. I stayed in the car and I heard shots inside the store. Me and Lucky went in after Daryl and Lucky led the walkers off on a chase so Daryl could escape. He's an amazing dog. He must be to have survived this long on his own," Beth finished in awe.

Beth looked at Daryl and they exchanged a look. To them, Lucky would always be the catalyst that got them on this path they were on now.

"Why aren't there any walkers?," whispered Glenn as he tapped on the front glass of the place one more time. They had developed that technique for luring walkers out a long time ago. They all listened for the sound of any of the living dead.

"I dunno. I ain't got a good feeling about it though." Daryl never thought he would see the day that he was nervous about not seeing the rotting corpses that ambled about everywhere they looked. Trying his best to ignore the thought and concentrate on the task at hand, Daryl pried the sliding doors open with his pocket knife after they had waited the requisite amount of time, not hearing evidence of anything, either living or undead.

They walked into the store and Daryl let out a huff. It was nearly picked clean. "Well we're already here so let's see what useful stuff we can find. You and Maggie start here and me and Beth will start at the back." Daryl suggested and everyone murmured agreement.

His and Beth's footsteps made a staccato echo in the eerily deserted store. The shelves weren't completely bare, but it almost look like someone had backed up a truck to this place and emptied it out. They reached the ammunition case and it had been picked over but there were still several boxes of bullets. The gun cabinet was completely empty, which Daryl suspected as soon as they set foot inside the place. He had an idea though and he motioned for Beth to follow him to the back of the store to the storeroom.

"We're lookin' for the office," he told her as they entered the back warehouse of the store.

"What's gonna be in the office ya think?," Beth asked, in wonder that he just always made the best of a situation. And his knowledge base amazed her as well. He seemed to be one of those people who knew a little about everything.

Daryl knocked on the door that was labeled "General Manager". They waited, Daryl with his crossbow poised and ready to use and Beth had her knife in front of her, ready for whatever was coming. Hearing nothing, Daryl creaked the door open. He waved Beth inside the room and followed her in closing the door behind them. He got his flashlight from his pack and shone it about, surveying the room's contents.

Beth glanced about the room. It was sparsely decorated in the most basic office furniture but there were animal heads all over the walls. She shuddered. She had grown up on a farm all her life but stuffing game and hanging it on your wall was something Beth was always going to find barbaric.

Daryl looked around the room finally finding a closet door, opening it carefully in case there was something besides what he suspected lurking inside the closet. He could only hope that whatever safe they had used was the key variety and not the combination kind. He could pick most any lock but that's where his safe-cracking abilities ended.

"Ha," he said when he saw the safe in the back of the closet sitting behind stacked boxes of copy paper and other office supplies.

"What's in it?," Beth asked from over his shoulder.

"With any luck, guns. Places like this sell used guns too. I was hopin' nobody had thought to check the safe. It's where they usually kept them until they had them checked and tested before selling them back to the public."

Beth nodded and stepped back and explored the room while Daryl worked on the safe. She turned to explore the back wall where there were lots of golf trophies. As she turned, she knocked a picture frame off and it crashed to the floor, startling the both of them.

Daryl stopped what he was doing to send a warning glance to her. "Good thing they ain't no walkers." He said smartly.

Beth just stuck her tongue out at him. "I didn't do it on purpose," she said as she bent over to pick up the shards of glass, wondering why she was doing so. It wasn't like the former occupant of this office was really going to care. She picked up the photo that had been encased in the frame. It was a picture of a balding middle-aged man, a dark haired lady who was stunningly gorgeous and a tiny little girl, about the age of Judith. Beth felt a tug at her heart, thinking about the little girl. She didn't think there would ever come a time when she wouldn't miss Judith and her soft coos and sweet smell. She stood to get up her foot crunching on a missed piece of glass. She kicked it off her boot and glanced down to see a glint of silver with the beam of her flashlight. It looked like a key; she bent over and picked it up, turning it over and over in her hand. She glanced about, wondering what it could go to, nearly smacking herself in the forehead when she realized what it was.

She ran the key over to Daryl and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Just a minute. I'm tryin' to figure this thing out," Daryl said as he worked at the lock with his pocket knife. "Stubborn piece of shit," he muttered.

Beth cleared her throat, leaning over him from behind and holding the key in front of his face.

Daryl sat back so he could focus on the object she had just shoved in his line of vision. He opened his mouth to protest until he realized that she had probably just saved him from beating the hell out of the safe, which would have gotten him nothing but a lot of bruised knuckles. He turned on his heel where he was bent over and found himself kneeling on one knee, the other leg extended slightly behind him. He flashed her a grin. "Where'd ya find this?," he asked her. She had a pretty satisfied grin on her face.

"Good thing I knocked that picture off, it must have been inside the frame," she mused.

Daryl took the key but in an impulsive move he didn't quite think through, he also grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips as he gazed up at her and kissed the back of her hand.

Beth stared down at him, making this incredible romantic gesture and her heart nearly seeped right through her gut down to her feet.

They looked at each other for a long, lingering moment before Daryl finally smiled at her, almost shyly, and turned back to the safe.

Daryl felt the lock give way with the key and opened up, shining the flashlight on the inside, casing the contents. "Holy shit, we found the holy grail of gun stashes!" The safe, a large four foot heavy metal standard safe was filled with guns and even some ammo.

He began pulling the guns out and reached for the pack that Beth was handing him. He marveled at the variety as he pulled each one out and placed it in the pack. The first was a Colt 45, a Kimber 1911, then three different calibers of Glocks. He paused when he found a box in the back. It was a Sig Sauer P238, 380 caliber and it didn't look used at all. It was an alloy model, small, lightweight; pretty much a perfect gun for Beth. He turned it over in his hands, admiring the rosewood grips. It had a Rainbow Titanium finish and even had Night Sights. It was a sweet gun and he couldn't really think of a better pistol for Beth to carry with her. With any luck, they'd find a holster for her too. He had already seen the contents of the ammo case and he knew they would easily be able to find ammo for all the guns.

"This must be what it is like to have Christmas," Daryl remarked.

Beth knew he was amazed by the guns but it broke her heart every time he mentioned something that he had missed out in his childhood.

Daryl stood up then and handed her the Sig Sauer, letting her test the weight of it in her hands. "It's about time we got you a new gun," he remarked as he watched her take the gun in her hands, fingering the grips and the safety slides. She silently appraised the gun for several seconds and then held it in front of her to the back wall of the office, her stance wide and sure.

Daryl knew he had never seen anything sexier than Beth brandishing that gun. He watched her for several moments before she finally turned back around, a smile spread across her face. "It's kind of badass right?," she asked him sweetly, her head cocked to the side.

Daryl chuckled. "Leave it to you to worry about your image." He shook his head as he approached her. They were all alone back here in the office and he didn't see the harm in stealing a kiss. Or maybe two.

Beth's breath caught in her throat as she saw the look on his face. "So about those favors?" she said with a wicked gleam in her eye.

Daryl reached her and pulled her into his arms, wrapping his arms loosely around her waist. He leaned back to look at her. "I knew that was going to come back to bite me in the ass." He said laughing.

Beth grinned up at him. "I think I have my first favor all lined up," she said saucily.

"Is that so?," Daryl said, his voice gruff and barely a whisper at this point. Her eyes had darkened and he didn't think it was because of the dim lighting in the room.

"I want you to make me feel like you did the other day," she breathed, glancing up at him shyly.

Daryl racked his brain. He knew exactly when she was talking about. The thing that had his heart hammering in his chest and his breathing turning ragged was wondering which moment it was that had made her feel something. He needed more information. "How did you feel?," he asked her, unable to resist. He had a feeling he was going to regret continuing the conversation along this vein, but he found he wanted to know even if it meant he would walk around with wood the rest of the day.

"When you kissed my neck," Beth moved one hand up to her neck, moving her hair to the side, exposing her hairline where his lips had been. "I felt something….delicious." She said, trying to find the right words.

Daryl chuckled at her choice of words. "Delicious huh?," he murmured as he dipped his head down and kissed along her jaw for a few seconds before pulling back again. "Just what was that delicious feeling." He asked her, looking into her eyes that were now dark pools of desire.

"I felt aroused. I wanted you to touch me." Beth had his attention now, she could tell. His breathing was coming in soft pants. "There." She murmured the one word as she glanced down.

Daryl's eyes followed her gaze and his eyes widened at the realization of what she was asking him. He took a ragged breath and pulled her roughly against him, bringing his mouth to hers. He kissed her slowly, his tongue dancing with hers. He could feel himself harden instantly at the thought of putting his hands on her where she was asking. God help him, this girl was going to be the death of him. He finally broke the kiss and looked at her.

"Beth, there's nothin' I want more than to touch you. And we'll get there. I promise we will. But if I make you feel that feelin' again right now, all it's gonna do is make me wanna clear everything off that desk over there." He gazed at her pointedly and nodded his head in the direction of the desk.

Beth gasped a little and her mouth formed an oh at what he was hinting at. "Then do it," she said bravely, all rational thoughts replaced by the burning need that had pulsed downward to where her thighs met.

Daryl groaned. "You're killin' me, you know that?," He said gruffly. "I'd really love to, Princess, but your first time should be better than somethin' quick and dirty on an old office desk."

Beth sighed then, all her arguments suddenly deflated. "Dammit, why are you always right about stuff." She pouted.

Daryl chuckled and planted a kiss on her lips, their lips smacking as he pulled away. "I'm gonna have to get that in writin'. I'm sure it will come in handy down the road," he joked. "Seriously though, we'll get there. When the time is right, we'll know it." He said gently.

She looked up at him, knowing that the full light of love she felt for him was showing in her gaze. "There you go again bein' all chivalrous." She said.

He pulled away from her and grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers together. Daryl leaned slightly into her and whispered in her ear, "I figure a Princess deserves some chivalry."

Beth thrilled at his words as much as she did his warm breath at her ear. She squeezed his hand and she was pleased when he squeezed back.

He hated to leave but they really needed to finish up at this store and get the hell out of dodge. The whole town just gave him the creeps.

"Let's go see what Maggie and Glenn found. Bet it's not near as good as what we have." He patted the pack at his side and slung his bow over his shoulder.

As they left the office, Beth wondered at the man walking beside her. He had the best reason of anyone in this world to have turned out bad, but instead he was good. So good her heart ached. She wanted so badly to tell him that she loved him. He knew. She knew that. But it wasn't the same as saying the words. She figured he was right about there being a right time for them. She thought it might be the same way about saying those three words to one another. When the time was right, it would just spill out of them, just like everything else had so far. Being with Daryl was a little like riding a roller coaster. All ups and downs and curves and fast movement; then every once in a while you had a corkscrew and you were upside down. You either enjoyed the ride or screamed the whole way through. Beth knew which one she was; loving Daryl Dixon was the ride of her life and she never wanted to get off.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That eerie feeling persists. They run into some trouble. Maggie and Beth get the surprise of their life.

Beth and Daryl walked back out from the warehouse and made their way back to the ammunition counter. Daryl slid open the door on the back of the display case and started picking through the boxes of ammo, selecting the ones they would need and depositing them in his bulging pack. He stood back up and he wandered over to the area where there were a few straggling holsters. He fingered the soft light brown leather of one of them. "Beth, com'ere," he called over to her where she was rifling through the hunting knifes, selecting this one and that one.

She looked up from her mission in selecting a nice pocket knife for Daryl. She had seen him trying to work on his current one. It was pretty beat up and the blade looked pretty dull. Making certain that he wasn't looking, she slipped it into her pocket. It was the kind that was engraveable and Beth wished she could put his initials on it. Daryl was holding a soft brown holster in his hand, inspecting the line of stitching and testing the buckle as well.

She walked over to where he stood. "Where's your gun?," he said gruffly. Beth pulled it out of the back waistband of her jeans and held it out, butt first, just like he had showed her before.

He slipped the gun into the holster and motioned her closer. Beth walked until she was right up on him and he took the holster and put it all the way around her waist on one side while grabbing the opposing side with his other hand.

Daryl's hands were warm on her as he snaked the holster around her waist, his fingers skimming too many places all at once for her to be able to memorize the way it felt on each spot of her skin. Instead, it felt like all of her skin was tingling. She took a deep breath to steady her jangled nerves and looked up at him. He stood back up, having just finished buckling the holster around her waist and his hands stilled just above the waistband of her jeans, right at the button.

Beth held her breath then, afraid if she moved a single muscle he might stop. Daryl looked down at her and he pictured himself doing all sorts of things in order to get that button undone and tug those tight jeans downward. He felt himself get hard again and cleared his throat in order to step back a bit. He shifted his feet back and forth in front of her, trying to readjust the enormous erection that he had pretty much kept the whole day so far.

"How's that feel?," he said, his voice just below that of a whisper.

Beth nodded. She loved this Daryl as much as she loved all the other ways he presented himself. Beth almost groaned in frustration. All the desire was evident in his bright crystal blue eyes. And she knew he wasn't going to do anything about it. If she didn't have such a soft spot for him and his inability to express his feelings, she might scream.

But looked so miserable, caught up in his own head that Beth finally spoke up. "Want to go find Maggie and Glenn?"

Daryl nodded, looking visibly relieved and she was glad she had removed some of the pressure. She could tell he really struggled with their relationship; a whole lot more than she did.

They searched the aisles for Maggie and Glenn. They finally found them making out in the tent aisle; they had a large pile of supplies at their feet.

Daryl cleared his throat loudly as they approached them. Maggie and Glenn at least had the good grace to blush and dip their heads back down, breaking apart and bending to pick up their finds. He'd let it slide; after all, hadn't he and Beth just been doing the same thing back in the Manager's office?

Beth walked up to Maggie and Glenn and did a little pirouette and showcased her new gun and holster. "Check me out!," Beth exclaimed as she put a hand on her hip in an uncharacteristic flair of drama. That was more Maggie's thing, especially now that she and Glenn were together. She wondered briefly if that was what had her giddy at the moment. Of course it made sense.

"Look at you!," Maggie oozed. Love truly looked good on her sister. She glanced at Daryl who was watching Beth carefully, his expression open and unguarded for a change. It was moments like these when she wanted to shake them both and tell them that life was too damn short to hesitate when you found something as wonderful as what they appeared to have. She bit her tongue though, she wasn't able to directing some subtlety towards Daryl. "Did she pick that out or you?," Maggie asked, smiling gently at him. Last thing she wanted to do was to poke the bear.

Daryl was surprised by her question. Getting someone something because they needed it and hand-picking an item for them were two different things. He looked to Beth hesitantly and looked back to Maggie.

""Spose I did. The gun just kinda suited her. The holster is just practical," he explained. The lie tasted bitter coming off his tongue. He knew he had picked the holster out just for her, a nod to her feminine softness while still honoring the edge that she had developed over the past several months. The soft brown leather had delicate yellow Texas roses stitched into the hide. When he saw it, he was surprised by the thought that he wished he could be buying her some roses instead of lifting a holster from an abandoned sporting goods store.

Maggie nodded thoughtfully. "It does suit her."

Beth had pulled her gun out of the holster and was now showcasing it, explaining all the details. "But don't be jealous, we got a ton of guns," Beth gushed, gesturing to the packs she and Daryl carried on their backs, the weight pressing into Beth's back.

"Why didn't you say so?," Glenn was suddenly at Daryl's back trying to get into the pack.

"Man, wait til we get back to the camper. I want to get what we need and get the fuck outta here," Daryl said and Glenn backed off.

"Yeah, I'm with ya on that," Glenn was relieved to hear him say that. The place was giving him the creeps, had been since they arrived.

Maggie and Glenn began retrieving all the items they had collected, several sleeping bags, a couple of two-man tents packed up on a hiking backpack, lots of batteries for the flashlights, and some first aid kits.

"Those were hard to find. They had slid up under the shelves." Looks like someone cleaned this place out early but it didn't look dusty or dirty. "It's almost like someone has been taking care of this place. The floors are clean; there isn't even any dust on anything," Maggie's voice dropped to a whisper, as if whoever had been coming here could hear her.

Daryl looked to Beth immediately. It felt strangely like the funeral home that they had been in all those weeks ago. Beth nodded. "We were at a place like that before," Beth said. "I always wondered what would have happened if we had stuck around." She finished.

"I, for one, don't want to find out," Glenn said as they all began heading back to the front door.

"I second that," Daryl muttered, hoisting the pack up on his back even as he steadied his bow at shoulder level as Glenn pried the door back open. Daryl surveyed the parking lot, relieved that the only thing out there was the Airstream.

They approached the camper when suddenly they heard frantic barking from inside the camper. They all hurried forward and threw open the door, Daryl aiming a bolt at the door, hoping like hell there weren't walkers or even worse in there. It wasn't like Lucky to bark. Glenn threw open the door and Lucky came bounding out. Daryl kept his sights on the door, waiting for whatever impending doom was going to come pouring out.

They all turned then to watch as Lucky ran around the camper, barking and growling and then came back to them. "What are you trying to tell us, buddy?," Daryl murmured, following Lucky's line of sight. Up over the crest of the hill back the direction they had come was a whole herd of walkers. The biggest herd they had seen since the farm.

Nobody wasted any time in getting themselves and their haul into the camper. Glenn got in the driver's seat ready to make the getaway.

Daryl was yelling for the dog to come back down the hill. Lucky glanced back at him and seeing that they were in the camper waiting for him, Lucky came galloping back down the hill and jumped back into the camper, allowing Daryl to finally close the door. "Go!," Daryl commanded, finally putting his bow down and hovering over the driver's seat right in front of where Beth was sitting, quietly staring at the road where the walkers were gaining momentum and some of them falling over one another. If it weren't so grotesque and terrifying it might be funny, but it wasn't.

Beth felt like she might start crying. It felt all over again like the farm and the prison all rolled into one. She had such warring emotions and thoughts. Jimmy, Patricia, Daddy, Judith, Rick, Carl, Michonne. She had Daryl had encountered small herds or even some larger ones but even the time they had been caught in the trunk that stormy night, it hadn't seemed as bad because she knew that they couldn't see them or hear them, because they had never had to be so quiet in all the time since the turn. She let out a little breath as Glenn turned the camper out of the parking lot opposite the direction of the approaching herd. Beth glanced backward out the side window, hearing something other than death groans.

There was a man and woman running after the camper. "There's people, " Beth exclaimed. It's the only other people she and Daryl had seen besides Maggie and Glenn.

Glenn glanced in the rearview at the people trying to run after the camper, their legs pumping faster and faster. He looked to Daryl's expression in the mirror, waiting for his instructions. Daryl cast his eyes down and shook his head slightly. Glenn nodded and set his jaw on speeding up the camper.

"You're not stopping! They need help!," Beth exclaimed, looking to Daryl and Glenn. Maggie was sitting in the front seat, her knees up to her chin. Beth would be willing to bet that she was crying.

Beth got up and grabbed Daryl's shoulder, jerking him around to face her.

He looked down at her, a defeated expression apparent in his gaze. "We can't stop Princess," He murmured, putting one hand at her waist and the other around her shoulder. She held herself stiff in his arms, looking up at him, her eyes imploring.

"Please, Daryl," she knew it was too late. She heard the screams and went to turn around to look back. She fought against Daryl's arms, feeling him tightening his grip on her. She brought her fists up between them and beat ineffectively at his chest. As the screams ceased, Beth slumped against him, tears overtaking her. Daryl tightened his hold on her once again. He walked her to the back of the camper and sat down, easing her onto it beside him, her legs draped over his lap. He held her tightly against him, although he wasn't sure he needed to. She had her arms wound tightly around him, squeezing the bicep of one arm as if her next breath depended on her hanging onto him. She sobbed and hiccupped against his chest for what felt like hours. It looked like Glenn was dealing with something similar in the front seat. Maggie's sobs had just started subsiding into small hiccups. He could hear Glenn murmuring something to her every now and then but he couldn't make it out over Beth's shuddering sobs.

Finally, her sobs started to subside, her punctuated breathing echoed by Maggie's. Daryl felt tears spring at the corners of his eyes. He had seen Beth cry plenty of times; hell sometimes he had been the reason for those tears, he remembered in shame. He held her just a little closer, his grip no longer tight, but now gentle, his fingers stroking up and down her arms and over her back. ""S okay, Princess," he murmured. He wasn't sure what else to say. The sadness was palpable in the vehicle. It had permeated all of them and pitched them back into a thousand darker yesterdays where they had lost others before. He hoped he wasn't going to go to hell for thinking it, but he was at least that they had not known the people that had been overrun back there.

Beth finally sat up a little, trying unsuccessfully to recover her ponytail. Daryl reached up and stilled her hand, weaving his hand through her hair, finding the loose hair tie and pocketing it, smiling softly at her.

Beth smiled back, just slightly. Leave it to this man to find a way to make her smile. Daryl reached back up and ran his fingers through her hair, gently tousling the strands and smoothing them back down as they cascaded over her shoulders. "Leave it down," he murmured.

"Why do you like it down so much?," Beth whispered, truly wanting to know.

"So's I can do this," Daryl's voice was soft and low, smooth. He reached up and ran both hands through her hair again, loving the feel of the flaxen tresses against the rough skin of his palms.

Beth's heart fluttered a bit. "You like it down?," She worried her lip again, biting on it slightly as she considered her words carefully.

Daryl nodded. "Yeah, I do." He whispered again. "You're so damned beautiful Beth," he marveled. She was all light and sunshine and even with her recent tears, her eyes shone brightly. Despite her sadness, she still managed to look like the candle in the darkness.

Beth smiled widely at him. "I never know what to say when you say that to me," she admitted shyly, placing one hand against his cheek.

He leaned into her touch. "You don't have to say anythin'," he assured her, enjoying the feel of her fingers on his face as she traced over the stubble there.

Beth sighed and slowly extracted herself from his arms, feeling the need to go and check on her sister. It should strike her as odd that they were not each other's first source of comfort but Beth knew that it was the natural progression of things. "I'm gonna check on Mags," Beth whispered as she got up.

Daryl nodded, following her back to the front of the camper. Maggie had leaned against the door and fallen asleep. "She okay?," he whispered to Glenn.

Glenn glanced in the rearview at his friend. "Yeah, I think it just reminded us all of the prison and the farm. Least that's how I saw it." Glenn mused.

"Yeah, me too. Need me to take over for awhile?," Daryl asked him, glancing over his shoulder where Beth was still standing.

"Nah, I'm okay. I'll just stay up here. I wanna be here when Maggie wakes up," he explained, watching the road for any signs of walkers.

Daryl nodded at him. "A'ight," He turned and clasped Beth's elbow. "Why don't we go back here and lie down for a bit?," he suggested. Beth nodded her assent and they headed back to the bed, crawling beneath the covers. He extended his arm and she settled comfortably in the crook and draped one arm around his middle, pulling him closer.

He knew it was not in character for him to suggest such a thing. He never napped, but Beth looked like she could use the rest. Truth was, he would like nothing more than to hold her in his arms after what they had just experienced. He tried not to start let himself think of all the "What If's". The only one that he couldn't banish was what if they had still been in the store when the herd made it to the bottom of the hill. He couldn't bear the thought of losing Beth. And he knew it would destroy her if something happened to Maggie. As he held Beth in his arms, he never wanted to let her go. They were just going to have to be more fucking careful. It's all there was to it.

"Daryl, wake up," Maggie whispered, glancing to her sister's sleeping form in his arms. She smiled as Daryl opened his eyes. "Sorry, Glenn needs you up front. She okay?," Maggie asked quietly.

Daryl nodded, carefully pulled out his arm, the pins and needles sensation prickling up. Beth stirred a little and turned over, hauling all the blankets with her. He chuckled and looked up at Maggie.

"She's the worst cover hog," Maggie smiled, a twinkle in her eye. "I'll stay with her, you go." She gestured as she climbed in the bed with her sister, the feeling reminding her of all the times she and Beth had snuck into each other's beds at night when something was bothering one of them. Beth had always been her confidante and Maggie knew it was the same for her.

"Tell me about it," Daryl was still smiling as he made his way to the front of the camper. Even as Maggie had said it, the underlying meaning that they shared a blanket, he felt a little thrill talking about something like that with Maggie. It was innocent but what struck Daryl was that he was not the least bit uncomfortable talking with Maggie like this. Daryl took the seat next to Glenn. He was alternately staring at the map and watching the road.

Daryl grabbed the map from between them. "You can't look at a map and drive too, ya genius," Daryl scoffed.

"I know that, it's why I had Maggie come get you, Rumplestiltskin," Glenn looked to Daryl at this little barb and saw the corners of his mouth turned up.

"You're just jealous you didn't get to take a nap," Daryl countered.

"I was looking at midway up the 504. Looks like another campground. We could make camp there for the night." He glanced at Daryl, gauging his response.

Daryl nodded, studying the map. There was a lot of information crammed into the map, but it was helpful nonetheless. It was dotted everywhere with icons denoting restaurants, campgrounds and tourist attractions. He folded the map, knowing if they stayed on this road, they would likely end up at the campground. If it wasn't enclosed like the one they had just left, they would have to take turns taking watch.

"The drive been okay?" Daryl asked Glenn who was intent on watching the road.

"Yeah, pretty uneventful. Peaceful even," Glenn said. "Saw walkers all over the place. Think they'll ever all be gone?," Glenn asked, looking to Daryl.

Daryl eyed him carefully. "I dunno. I'd like to think so. But seems like we ain't been gettin' much of what we want here lately," He finished and Glenn nodded.

"You ever think what it would have been like if the turn never happened?," Glenn asked him, sensing Daryl's open mood and going for it.

Daryl thought for a moment and chewed his thumbnail, contemplating Glenn's question. "All the time," he finally answered. "I'd probably still be following Merle around. Doing whatever he said. Wouldn't have met none of you," He admitted, glancing to Glenn.

"I thought that too. As bad as it is, I can't be sorry for meeting Maggie," Glenn said it softly.

Daryl's thoughts echoed his response. While Daryl wanted to tell Glenn he felt the same way, sometimes he had a hard time expressing this stuff to Beth. He felt like she should know every thought before he told it to anyone else, so he just nodded. "I get that," was all that he said.

No more words were spoken as they drove along until they finally reached the campground. It was overgrown and the roads were dirt and not paved. Fortunately the past couple of days had been dry and it looked at least passable. The overgrowth would hide them well from any dangerous people; hopefully the heavy vine coverage might just hide them from walkers too. Hide in plain sight; Daryl always liked it when that happened.

Glenn pulled the camper onto the road leading to the campground. There were a few scattered campers here and there, mostly the pop-up trailer kind. There were also a few tattered tents scattered across the grounds. It was a pretty small campground but it would do for the night. They could hit the road again at first light.

Daryl looked down at Lucky who had perked up. Something in the dog's gaze out the windshield reminded Daryl of riding in the truck with Ivan, his head hanging out the window, tongue lolling in the wind like some derelict cartoon character. He smiled at the memory as he reached down and pet the dog who was constantly underfoot, but tried to make his presence as little known as possible. It was almost as if the dog wanted to blend into the walls, he was so quiet at times. He supposed he was a lot like Daryl used to be.

Glenn parked the camper and Daryl got up and stretched in the cabin of the camper, intending to go wake up Beth and Maggie, but the two were making their way blearily to the front.

They descended the camper one at a time, everyone groaning a little at the relief felt in stretching out their legs from being stationary on the drive.

"I don't know about you, but I gotta pee," Maggie blurted, dragging Beth with her. Beth smiled at her sister and glanced to Daryl. "Be back in a minute," She called over her shoulder, Maggie pulling her in the direction of the forest.

Glenn looked at Daryl and busted out laughing. "End of the world and women still have to go to the bathroom together," Glenn laughed even harder.

Daryl laughed too, knowing he was right. They were probably laughing far too hard over it, but it felt good to do something besides scowl and worry and cry.

Suddenly there were piercing screams reverberating from the direction Maggie and Beth had set out. Lucky bounded ahead of Glenn and Daryl, Glenn unholstering his gun and Daryl bringing his bow up. He wasn't sure how his legs were even working as they felt like his bones had just liquefied at hearing those screams, knowing they were Maggie and Beth. Daryl found himself chanting inside his head as he ran towards the next scream, "Please be okay. Please be okay." It was a mantra, until they finally reached the clearing where Beth held out her gun pointing it at something beyond Daryl's vision because Maggie was standing slightly in the way.

Daryl heard a growl and thought it might be a walker but even if were just one walker, he knew neither girl would scream like that. Beth still had her knife and he knew Maggie could find about anything to take down a walker; had seen her do it on more than one occasion. He opened his mouth to ask what the big deal was and that's when Lucky started growling again, his haunches up and teeth bared in a menacing countenance.

Daryl shifted his weight to the left, his bow poised and ready to fire a bolt directly at whatever son-of-a-bitch rotting corpse was coming their way. As he shifted, he nearly dropped his bow. "What in the ever fuck?!," he exclaimed.

Daryl was speechless and he blinked a couple of times to make sure he really was seeing what he was seeing. Beth and Maggie were huddled together in the middle of the clearing, back to back, both of them their weapons raised. Above them, on a boulder nestled into the side of a big hill, a heavy maned lion stood on all fours and roaring loudly in their direction. Up to this point, Daryl had thought he had seen everything this apocalyptic world had to throw at them. He was wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUM dum DUUUUM!! Surprised? Hmm, wonder what's going to happen next. Hope you liked this chapter!


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We finally find out what the hell that lion was doing in the middle of the woods.

"Aslan! Stop scaring our new friends". Daryl watched as a man who was dressed ridiculously in safari gear appeared behind the biggest lion he had ever seen. He held his hands up in the air; Daryl narrowed his eyes at the man. He outweighed Daryl at least by half but he knew he could still kick his ass if necessary. The lion though; he wouldn't admit it to anyone but the thing fucking terrified him. He held his bow at the ready, his finger on the trigger should it become necessary to fire a bolt in their direction. He faltered for a minute when at the man's command, the lion laid down at his feet and yawned. If he hadn't seen it for himself, he would never have believed it. The lion had submitted to the man automatically as if it was something he did on a regular basis.

"Friends, if you could lower your weapons, I assure you that no harm will come to you. I'm Isaac," the man said.

Daryl lowered his bow and looked to Glenn, seeing that he had lowered his gun as well. Beth and Maggie finally holstered their weapons and joined Daryl and Glenn, respectively. Lucky had stopped barking finally and came to sit at Daryl's feet. Lucky was not even growling. It was as if he sensed that the lion wouldn't hurt him. Daryl guessed the dog had to develop some pretty good instincts in order to survive this long on his own.

Beth took in a shaky breath. Her mind was still trying to wrap itself around the fact that indeed it really was a lion just above them on the ridge. "Daryl," Beth turned her head to whisper to him. She watched him for a moment and even though he had lowered his bow, he hadn't set it on the ground. More than that, he had a fierce look in his eyes.

"'S okay, Princess," he whispered so low that she knew only she heard it. She relaxed a little at his assurance.

Daryl directed his attention back at the absurdity in front of them. "You mind telling me why the hell you have a lion in your possession?," Daryl said gruffly.

"I thought you'd never ask my dear sir," Isaac said in a proper voice that irritated Daryl, but it was no different than anyone else he met and didn't trust. Daryl eyed the man. "You have just arrived on the outskirts of The Refuge." He waved around him with a flourish at the Carolina Pine Forest. Daryl swore he could hear an elephant call in the distance and he looked to the others, meeting Glenn's eyes. He had heard it too.

"The Refuge?" Glenn spoke up then. He couldn't let Daryl shoulder all the burden of making the decisions.

"The Refuge is what we call it now. A place for good ladies and gents to come together. A safe place," Isaac smiled then taking in all their expressions.

Beth stared at the man, tall, huge muscles, with dark brown hair and full facial hair. Most disturbing to Beth was the fact that he was dressed in some safari attire. He looked like something straight out of Jumanji and Beth almost started laughing then. She could imagine if she thought that, then Maggie would too. Maggie had been terrified of that movie when they were little. Shawn tormented her to no end about it. Beth had always just giggled.

"We have plenty of room on The Refuge. You're welcome to come and check it out. No strings attached. If you don't want to stay, no hard feelings. Although we have found that people who come here, don't want to leave. Even those who leave end up turning around and coming back."

He and Glenn exchanged a look. They knew how they would handle it if it was their place. Daryl figured it really wasn't all that much different.

"How many walkers have you killed?," Daryl asked Isaac.

"Walkers you call them. Interesting. Ah, mm, well too many to count, I suppose," Isaac glanced among the four of them, clearly puzzled.

"How many people have you killed?," He eyed the man carefully. He would be able to tell if he was lying; if nothing else, Daryl's life before the turn had prepared him for being able to weed out the liars and murderers.

"Two." Isaac didn't hesitate when he said it. Daryl nodded.

"Why?," Daryl let the final piece click into place.

"Because they were going to torture and kill Aslan for sport." the man looked horrified in that moment.

Daryl could see the fear written in the man's eyes at the memory. Daryl knew that look well. He relaxed visibly then. If a man would kill to protect an animal, then he was alright in his book. "Aslan huh?" Daryl smirked at Isaac.

"Yes, like from the Chronicles of Narnia," Isaac motioned for the big cat to join him.

"I know what it's from," Daryl didn't say anything else. He could feel Glenn's eyes boring a hole into him. "What?" He demanded, meeting Glenn's gaze, his eyes containing a glint of amusement.

"No way have you seen The Chronicles of Narnia, dude," Glenn was grinning ear to ear then .

"Shut up," Daryl muttered. "I'm not completely uncultured you know," Daryl wasn't about to say anything else to give away how he had seen the movie. He looked to Beth, who just looked at him thoughtfully, a small smile played on her features. He smiled back at her. He would tell her later and her expression told him that she knew that too.

"I'm sorry to rush you. It's a big decision. I get that, but we need to be moving back inside the gates before any of the infected ones come through again."

"'S fine. But you still didn't tell me how it is that you have a fuckin' lion at your feet," Daryl motioned with his hand.

"Oh forgive me, please," Isaac chuckled at a joke that clearly only he was privy to. "The Refuge used to be the Carolinas Zoo," He explained. "Well it's still a zoo, but we have outfitted it to suit our purposes," Isaac finished.

"You've got to be kiddin' me?," Daryl laughed then because he didn't really know what else to do. "It's the end of the fucking world and you are holed up in a zoo?," Daryl thought for a minute. "Actually it's not a bad idea," Daryl said, earning an appreciative look from Isaac.

"Of course it's not," Isaac scoffed. "The entire property spreads out over 500 acres. It's always been a natural habitat zoo. Most of the exhibits and the animals have faired well. We have fences around the entire property and enough people to man the fence lines around the clock. Besides the fact that the entire zookeeper's headquarters are also fenced separately. I worked here; work here," he corrected himself. "Plenty of people I knew left but no one came back, at least not as humans," Something dark passed across his face; something Daryl recognized well; fear and guilt.

"Seriously though, I have to get back." Isaac's voice had returned to normal. Beth knew that it had been some kind of fake accent. Maybe he really got into the whole outfit he was wearing.

Daryl noted that he had only referred to himself as going back to the refuge. Somehow it made him feel better that the man was not trying to force the situation. "Can we talk it over for a second," He figured it couldn't hurt to at least take a vote.

Isaac nodded to them and bent down to pet the lion again, Aslan turning over onto his back and exposing his large expansive belly. Daryl shook his head and turned to Beth, Maggie and Glenn.

"It seems like it might be okay," Daryl began. He looked to Glenn. He really needed his input.

Glenn took a deep breath. "We heard about this place called Terminus. They tortured people there. Some barely made it out alive," Glenn said the last in a hushed whisper. "They claimed to be a sanctuary too. The Refuge?" Glenn drew the parallel for them. They really didn't have time to waste at this point.

"Sweetie, this isn't the same," Maggie put her hand on the side of Glenn's face. "But Glenn is right, what if we're walking into a trap?" Maggie breathed.

They all looked to Beth then who had been watching the exchange silently. "Bethie?" Maggie asked gently.

"Me?" Beth's eyes went wide. No one had ever asked her opinion before. At least not when it came to things like this.

"Yes, you," Daryl teased her. "Who else would we be talkin' to, Lucky?" He chuckled at that.

"Nothin' it's just," Beth began, unsure of how to say it.

"You're an adult now Beth. Means you get treated like one," Maggie looked at Beth softly.

Beth beamed at them. She had been listening intently. "I think we should give it a try," Beth started shyly. "I got a good feeling from the guy. I know that don't mean much, but Daddy was always a good judge of character. I really think he would've liked Isaac, even if he is a little eccentric," Beth whispered. She looked to Daryl.

Daryl couldn't help the feeling of pride that washed over him then. She was so smart, his Beth. "So we stay?" He looked from one to the other and they all nodded in agreement.

"If we end up dead, don't blame me," Glenn muttered.

"Nah man, this aint' how this is gonna work," Daryl stopped midstride, turning to face Glenn. "We're either all in or we're out. Period." Daryl eyed Maggie and Beth too, both of them nodding.

"Fine. We'll stay." Glenn said and nodded his head at Daryl.

They all turned to where Isaac was sitting on the ground, the lion's giant head partially in his lap. Daryl was starting to wonder if the guy had actually escaped from a mental hospital instead of his other story, which smacked bullshit to Daryl. Yet, he couldn't find himself to be mad at him, least not for the important things.

"We'll stay. If you'll have us," Daryl said.

"Splendid," Isaac beamed at them. "Come along Aslan," He snapped at the lion who stood up next to Isaac. The two of them made a formidable looking pair, Beth had to admit. She noticed too that his fake accent had slipped back into place. Strange man, but he was oddly likeable, Beth mused.

"Wait, we have a camper, an Airstream. We'd rather not leave it out here." Daryl hated to ask anyone for a favor but it really would be stupid to leave it out on the road. Besides that it was fully stocked. He didn't want to tip his hand just yet, but he figured some of the things the Airstream had were things people hadn't seen in a very long time.

"Drive about a half mile down this road," Isaac pointed in the general direction. "Turn into the entrance. Someone will be there to meet you. When you reach the gates, tell them Isaac sent you. Code word is 'wardrobe'," The look he sent them dared them to give him hell about the word choice.

"Will we see you later?" Beth asked, genuinely curious.

"Sure, we all eat dinner together every night. We have plenty of places for everyone to sleep. We'll have to double up, but I'm sure you're used to that kind of thing after all that's happened," Isacc's smile was warm and inviting. "Dinner's at sundown," Isaac said as he strolled away, Aslan close on his heels.

They all turned to go back to the camper then. Glenn turned to Daryl. "Did we just agree to go live in a zoo?," He asked him, running his hand roughly through his hair.

Daryl chuckled then. "Yeah, I guess we did." And it was absurd really. The end of the world and here they were going to go live in a zoo. Didn't make any damn sense at all.

"So dinner's at sundown. All the dorms here were for the workers here at the zoo before the end," It was the third time Beth had heard what had happened called "the end", She supposed it fit and all, but she could not get the images of the walkers finishing off half her family back at the farm out of her head.

They had driven the Airstream up to the gates where they were greeted by two men, John and Tia. When they had given the code word, they had smiled and welcomed them. From there, they had driven the camper through the entrance of the park and taken the service road along a trail that looked like it might have been a shuttle line before. They had finally reached the central courtyard at that point. It was a large open area with a lot of tables and chairs. The signage on reaching the section read "Watering Hole". With all the tables and the various booths and stores, Daryl guessed it used to be some kind of food court for the zoo. There were people milling about everywhere, all seeming to have something to do and somewhere to go.

They all stared at all the activity as they got out of the camper, Lucky bounding off before they could catch him. Beth didn't worry though, he always came back.

Their tour guide was Rin, a tall, leggy brunette. She wore acid wash jeans and a well worn t-shirt and a black leather jacket. She had large brown eyes that looked a little haunted but it only added to her beauty. "I have your room assignments. You just have to fill out your name on the card and pick your roommate".

Beth looked to Daryl nervously. They had been sleeping together in the same bed. She hoped that he was going to be okay with them sharing a room permanently. Even though they hadn't been intimate with one another yet, she knew they eventually would be. It made her nervous and fluttery and excited all at the same time.

Daryl reached his hand for the card Rin was handing them. "Me and Beth are together," Daryl said and Beth looked at him wide-eyed at the implications of what he had just said seeped into her. She grinned at him then.

Daryl had been very uneasy when he said the words, but with one look from Beth and he felt like he could have told anyone and it not have mattered.

Beth glanced at Maggie who was fairly beaming at her, a big stupid grin on her face.

"What? Stop looking at me like that." Beth admonished her sister.

"I'm not lookin at you like anythin'," Maggie said, the humor still evident on her face.

"Really. Hmm, did you notice Isaac looks a lot like the guy from Jumanji?", Beth's smile was devious.

"Don't you dare, Elizabeth Greene!," She looked to Glenn then.

"He doesn't know?," Beth giggled. "Oh it's just too good. You better tell him Mags or I will," Beth promised her sister.

"Sorry, we just need to be pointed in the right direction of the dorms," Beth spoke directly to Rin. They looked to be about the same age.

Rin smiled at her, a genuine smile that reached all the way to her eyes. "Sure," she said softly. "The dorms are right that way. Just follow the signs on the trail for Zookeepers Quarters. Your rooms are in building four."

They were walking in the mid part of the zoo, the centrally located headquarters for the workers who lived at the zoo year round, tending to the animals. They had just arrived thirty minutes ago and after a brief orientation and room assignment, they were headed for their new home for however long they decided to stay. Lucky had bounded off as soon as they stepped out of the camper, eager to explore. Beth had long since stopped worrying about him. He could clearly take care of himself and he always managed to find his way back home.

Daryl was skeptical at first when they had entered the zoo. The girl that had given them the house instructions had told them that the zoo had never been overrun by the infected. Since it was off the beaten path, it had been relatively unaffected. There were a few walkers, sure, but they were dispensed with early. The fences were already in place and they had shored them up over the past two years. They had regular fence patrols performed by their safety force. Everyone that lived at The Refuge had their own jobs to do. Newcomers were encouraged to offer their assistance and see where they fit in before being assigned any jobs.

Beth remembered being struck by one thing. Rin had said that they were staying in building four because it was a relatively new building and the other group had arrived the day before, a man and woman and two kids. Rin mentioned that the youngest was a baby. Beth had an inner mantra on replay that it was not Judith, it couldn't be. The likelihood of them being this far north was practically nil.

"So about Jumanji?," Daryl looked at Maggie and she groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Beth, you are so gonna pay for this," Maggie seethed, her face red. She looked at Daryl and Glenn, feeling her sister's eyes on her. "I was terrified of Jumanji when I was a little girl." She whirled around on Beth who was giggling uncontrollably as they walked up the last hill where the dorms loomed ahead. "I'm serious, revenge is sweet, dear sister." Maggie warned, but when she saw how Beth was having a fit keeping herself upright from laughing so hard, she began to laugh too.

"Remember how I'd go sleep with Momma and Daddy whenever Shawn would make me watch it with him," Maggie laughed easily now.

"Yeah and Daddy threatened to burn the tape if Shawn let you watch it one more time," Beth giggled.

They looked at each other and smiled. It was nice to remember their dad without breaking down in tears.

"Well here we are," Beth announced reading the printed sign "Zookeeper Headquarters, Building 4." They opened the large gate into the fenced area housing the dorms, a huge common area with trees and benches and tables, walking inside and closing the gate back as the sign commanded they do. They looked around. The place was really beautiful and it was easy to see that during the summer months, the place would fill in wonderfully. Beth wished fervently that she had Judith with her. She could not think of a more ideal place to raise a child in their new world than here. And they hadn't even gotten to see any of the animals yet. She personally couldn't wait. It had been ages since she had been to the zoo. She hoped there were still penguins as they had always been her favorite.

She had asked Rin how all the animals had made it through until now. She had informed her, a sadness evident in her eyes, that not all had been able to be saved. Some of the more exotic animals like the snakes and lizards had died due to exposure. It had been far too cold that first winter without any source of power or heat. The monkeys had faired well and the panda bears had actually thrived. Rin had said the two bears, while unable to mate before the turn, had a baby this past summer. The cub was six months old now. It was obvious as Rin spoke that she had a special affection for the pandas.

Beth had a dozen questions for each single one that Rin had answered. "Chill, chick! We'll get to all of it tonight at supper," Rin laughed at Beth's enthusiasm. Beth would be lying if she denied feeling a small pain when Rin mentioned her uncle being the resident veterinarian of the zoo, Dr. Jackson. She and Maggie had exchanged a glance, their pain unspoken between them as they remembered their dad.

Daryl had overheard and he had reached over for her hand, lacing their fingers together. She had glanced down at their joined hands and then up at him. He had been staring intently at her. Moments like that just made her love him all the more.

They opened the door to the building that housed the dorms. They stepped inside to a common area that fanned out over the expanse of the building. There was a kitchenette, not much better for anything than fixing a snack and a sitting area. It branched out into a hallway then with doors lining either side.

"We're this way," Maggie looked to Glenn.

"Meet back here in 30?" Glenn looked to Beth and Daryl.

"Sure," Daryl looked at Beth and he had a thousand things going through his mind. It was ridiculous really. They had been together and alone for a very long time before Maggie and Glenn had found them. In that time, he had never felt any kind of way about being alone with Beth. The past few days, since Maggie and Glenn had arrived, he had felt kind of "off the hook" so to speak about the physical aspect of their relationship knowing he would never pursue anything along that avenue as long as Glenn and Maggie were in earshot.

The past several days had been pretty intense between the two of them. The air between them contained an almost electric charge most of the time. He guessed the difference was that before they had been reunited with their family, he and Beth had not had to define their relationship. They hadn't felt any pressure to do so because they set the pace for themselves. He just couldn't put a finger on the feeling that he had. He watched Beth as she glanced at the card and at the room numbers. Theirs was 12. Her long blonde hair was hanging down over her shoulders and he felt a surge of affection realizing that she had left it down for him. He felt a sudden longing to run his fingers through it. He hefted his pack further up as Beth eased the door open.

They entered the spacious room. There were no decorations just as dorms were meant to be. There was a large double bed in the middle of the room, a bedside table flanking each side of the bed. The rest of the room was pretty unexciting, an overstuffed chair big enough for three people and a dresser to place their belongings. They set their packs down inside the door. Daryl leaned his bow against the wall.

Beth turned to look out the window, stretching her back. It had been a long walk up to where the dorms were located. Even though her muscles ached, it felt exhilarating.

Daryl watched everything she did; the way she skimmed her fingers over every item in the room, first the quilt laid neatly over the bed, then the table on one side. She managed to touch everything that she looked at and then she turned to look at him. He had to be near her. He crossed the room, his strides purposeful as he met her in the middle of the room at the edge of the bed. He slid his hand through her hair to the back of her head, threading his fingers through her long blonde tresses, crushing his lips to hers. She gasped a little in surprise but quickly opened her mouth to his tongues ministrations. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, lapping at her tongue as he went, taking her lower lip in between his teeth, nipping slightly and he felt his desire pooling as he heard her moan his name, "Daryl." He reached down and pulled at the waistband of her jeans, pulling her flush against him then snaked an arm around the base of her spine and held her there; feeling his heartbeat falter a bit in a seeming attempt to match hers.

Beth held her breath when he first kissed her, mostly because she was so surprised but it was also because she was so incredibly turned on by his sudden outburst of passion. It reminded her very much of him kissing her in the rain that morning. The morning that they had almost made love. Beth felt her skin come alive as a thrilling chill floated just over the surface of her skin and her breathing became rapid.

"Daryl." This time it was a whisper, a plea. Beth pulled back to look at him, searching his eyes.

Daryl looked down in her eyes and saw everything he was feeling reflected back in her stare. She bit her lower lip and Daryl heaved in a deep breath and descended his lips on hers again, slanting his head to the side. He skimmed his fingers up her side, letting his thumbs brush over her breasts, then dragged his hands back down over her arms, his breath hitching in his chest again as he felt her shudder under his touch. His desire for her was so intense, he didn't think he could stand so he eased them down onto the bed, never breaking contact.

Beth sighed against Daryl's lips as he continued to kiss her, nipping her lower lip lightly with his teeth. She shivered at the sensation it produced.

Daryl was nervous even as he was turned on. He had no fucking idea what he was doing, he was just going on gut instinct and a few barely remembered experiences. He tore his lips from hers, unable to decide where he wanted to kiss her next so he spread slow kisses over the line of her jaw, the tip of her chin, the side of her neck and lingering there as her breathing became a little more rapid. He continued on this path, his lips traveling lower and lower until he reached the neckline of the sweater she was wearing. He reached up between them and placed his hand tentatively on her breast, kneading it experimentally, finding the weight beneath his palm deeply satisfying and he longed to taste her there. He pressed his lips to her chest, just above the swell of her right breast and hovered his lips there.

Beth's hands came up then and she threaded her fingers through his hair. Her hands stilled as he hovered his lips over her; her breath coming in pants now. She could feel him hesitate and she wanted his lips; on her. She gently pushed his head into her chest in a bold move.

That was all the encouragement Daryl needed. He brought his hand up and pushed her sweater and tank top up and over her ribs, watching as her firm, round breasts sprung free of the material. He absolutely loved that she never wore a bra. Suited him just fine.

Beth watched as Daryl shoved her clothes upward, exposing her breasts to him. He had not looked at her in this way since that morning they had gotten interrupted. She held her breath as he gazed at her and then gave her a wolfish grin as he descended his head to her, bringing one hand up to knead and spread kisses around in slowly shrinking circle. His lips moved agonizingly slow as he zeroed in on her nipple. He flicked his tongue lightly over the hardened peak.

Beth could feel her breath coming shallow and uneven and felt that unmistakable sign of arousal between her legs. The wet, wet warmth and the pleasant sensation of everything filling up with an aching need.

Daryl could feel himself getting harder and harder and felt his erection bulging in his pants and straining against the zipper. One touch and he knew he was going to spiral over the edge. And that would just never do; he wanted Beth's first time, their first time to be special. He didn't know if it would be mind-blowing or not but he sure as hell needed to have more stamina than he would have if he took her here and now. He dragged his lips away from her and felt her whimper.

Beth's eyes opened suddenly at the loss of contact. "God not again," Beth breathed as Daryl gently replaced her clothes back to their original position, sitting up and running a hand through his hair. "This is killing me, ya know," Beth smiled softly at Daryl, it being obvious that he was thinking about something and it was pretty serious to him. She straightened her clothes a little more and moved her hand to his knee, squeezing softly.

Daryl looked to her then, trying to find the right words to convey how he felt and his theory on what their first time should be like. "Beth, 'm sorry," .

"It's okay, we'll get there. Hey at least we have a room of our own now, right?" Beth encouraged.

"I fucking suck at this, okay." Daryl began. "But I gotta get this said because it's important." He took a shaky breath and was encouraged by the smile on her face.

"I'm listening. Take your time." She squeezed his knee again and he brought his hand up to where she was gripping his knee and he took her small delicate hand into both of his tanned, callused ones.

"I ain't never met anybody like you. I know I've already told you that. All this is new for me. And I know it's new for you too, but you seem to deal with it better than me." He took another breath, wishing like hell he had remembered his cigarettes but they were back at the Airstream.

"Damn it, why is it this fucking hard to tell you that I love you?" He looked at her, surprised etched on her features; that and a peaceful acceptance at what he had just finally admitted out loud.

"Looks like you did it to me," Beth laughed at his surprised expression even as her heart swelled with happiness and pride that he had been able to put himself out there. "And I love you too. Of course I do. I was waiting until you were ready to say it."

Daryl looked at her then and she was so achingly beautiful and goddamned smart, he felt a physical ache. "That wasn't exactly how it went in my head. But yes, I do love you. I love you Beth Greene." Daryl whispered, his voice catching a bit on her last name. He cleared his throat.

Beth disentangled her hand from his to bring up both hands and placing on each side of his face, cupping his cheeks. "I love you too Daryl Dixon. So much." She brought her lips to his, kissing him like he was the last man on earth and knowing that if he was, she could die happy right here beside him.

Daryl broke the kiss first, only because he felt an intense need to have her in his arms and completely molded against him. He brought his arms around her and pulled her tightly against him. He buried his face in the side of her neck and her hair cascaded over his face. He breathed in deeply and she sighed against him.

Daryl took a deep breath and pulled himself reluctantly away, feeling the lack of warmth as he did so.  
"'S why I want everything to be perfect for us. For you. And right now, I'm sorry to say that if we went there right now, it wouldn't be any good for you."

Beth looked puzzled. "Of course it would be good. We've barely touched each other and I want you so bad I can't stand it," Beth said and he chuckled.

"God Greene you are so goddamned honest. Never have to wonder how you're feelin'," he mused as he ran his fingers lightly over her leg, tracing lazy patterns into the denim. "Yes, but that's not what I'm sayin' Princess. It's been a long time for me." He looked at her pointedly but he could tell she still didn't catch what he was saying.

He groaned in frustration but tried again, "It's been a long time so things might be over pretty quick," He sighed in relief when realization dawned on her features.

"Oh." Oh yeah, real smooth Beth, she thought. "But Daryl I don't care. I just want to be with you. It'll be special because it'll be us. Every minute with you is special." Beth looked at him.

"God, Beth, what in the hell did I ever do to deserve you," Daryl breathed. "I just think that I can maybe…er…fix the situation beforehand so that way it'll last longer." Daryl looked at her pointedly again and hoped like hell he wasn't going to have to spell that one out for her.

Beth flushed as the implications of what he was saying seeped in. "Oh." She said for the second time in as many minutes. "You think that will help?" Thinking about Daryl pleasuring himself was enough to make her breathing go all funny but thinking about him doing it to get himself ready for making love with her. Beth didn't feel like any oxygen was actually reaching her lungs, so she bit down on her lower lip.

"Yeah, I do." He muttered. "Is that okay?" He asked her.

Beth laughed then. "Is it okay that you love me and you want to make our first time special?" Beth's tone was lightly mocking and Daryl laughed too. "Yeah I think I'm okay with that." She got up quickly then. "I almost forgot. I got you somethin'." Beth gushed as she retrieved the knife from her pack and held it behind her back. "I found it and thought it was something you might like." She smiled at him nervously as she handed him the knife. She had never given a guy something before; it was thrilling but also a little nerve-wracking. What if he hated it?

Daryl looked up at her in surprise as she handed him the knife, running his fingers over the hilt and noted where it could be engraved. Daryl had plenty of knives in his lifetime but none as nice as this one. "Thank you Princess," He pulled her closer to him, her legs hitting his knees where he still sat on the bed. Beth looped her arms around Daryl's neck as he pressed his lips to hers. He searched his memory and came up empty on occasions where a girl had given him something that he never even asked for.

"Wish I had somethin' to give you." He murmured against her as he pulled away from her lest things get too carried away again.

Beth's eyes lit up at Daryl's words. A mischevious thought had just occurred to her. "Oh but you do," She grinned.

Daryl eyed her warily but nodded. "Seems like you owe me some favors. Now I know that we said that they couldn't be sexual, but I was thinkin' that maybe your first favor can be to rid me of my virginity," Beth chuckled a little at his wide eyes and surprised expression. "Tonight." She added bravely and waited for the hour long diatribe that was surely to follow on her request of all the reasons that they should wait a little longer.

"Okay, deal," Daryl raised his chin up a little, feeling emboldened by the banter between them. If this was the way things were with them before they gave in, he couldn't wait to see what it was going to be like after. Now it was Daryl's turn to laugh as Beth's eyes went wide.

"Didn't think I'd do it huh? You wanna take it back?" He asked her, genuinely. He wanted her to be completely comfortable and it might be better if they were actually preparing for it. Which reminded him, he was going to have to swallow his pride and ask if Glenn knew where some condoms were. He dreaded that fucking conversation so he tabled the thought for later, looking to Beth.

She simply shook her head.

"Beth Greene is speechless? Never thought I'd see the day." He laughed and she smiled at him.

"No, I don't want to take it back. You swear you won't?" Her brain was finally able to form a coherent thought.

"I won't take it back," He said seriously. "I will never take any of this back." He said solemnly as he brought his lips to hers. Beth's heart nearly melted at his words and she kissed him back with fervor.

She finally broke the kiss. "Okay, so tonight." Her heart fluttered in her chest, feeling like it might just find a way out this time. "Guess we better go find Maggie and Glenn. I want to explore a little before supper. Plus I'd love to have a shower." She looked at him and as he raked his eyes over her appreciatively, she didn't know how in the world she was going to make it until tonight. Every muscle, every nerve was quivering in anticipation. She loved this man beyond comprehension. He had finally admitted that he loved her too and she couldn't wait until they could express that love physically. Tonight could not get here fast enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do you think of where they are? I am dying to know!!!


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You might be waiting for this one.

When Beth and Daryl arrived at the Watering Hole, it was abuzz with activity with everyone getting ready for supper. Beth felt refreshed and light after the nice shower she had before coming for supper. Daryl had one too and she kept sneaking glances at him because he looked so good all cleaned up, no traces of walker blood on his clothes or skin. Instead his hair had been scrubbed clean and as it had dried, it had fallen over his eyes in the most endearing way. He had put on a pair of clean jeans, holes worn in the knees and a black t-shirt along with his angel wing vest. He didn't know it but she secretly loved when he wore it. It just made him look even more bad-ass.

Maggie and Glenn had gotten there ahead of them and were seated at one of the tables already eating. Beth stared in awe as she eyed their plates with healthy servings of rabbit meat on skewers, green beans and to her delight: mashed potatoes. Maggie was digging into them with gusto. They walked over to their table before retrieving their plate for supper.

"Are those real mashed potatoes or instant?" Beth asked, her mouth almost watering as she watched her sister make quick work of the staple food turned rare delicacy.

Maggie nodded. "They have a few garden areas and they were lucky enough to have seeds here to plant. Isaac said that there was some sort of gene splicing project in botany when the turn hit. They had been storing seeds and started gardens five years prior to that."

Beth marveled at their common area. It looked so alive and fun and if you didn't know better, you could almost squint your eyes a little and pretend that you were just there for a day at the zoo. It was silly, she knew, but she thought it all the same.

"You better go get some before they are all gone. Isaac and Rin said they don't have these but every so often. I get the feelin' this was for us." Maggie whispered. So far they had not been approached by anyone, but people's eyes did linger over the newcomers, but not in a bad way.

Beth's heart warmed a little with Maggie's recounted tale of how they had come to have vegetables in this near perfect place. So far, there had not been one walker to worry about. She was sure that it wouldn't always be that way but right now she'd take any offered peace she could find.

She and Daryl walked to get their plates from the assembly line in one of the food court buildings and sat back down with Maggie and Glenn who were nearly finished.

Daryl began to eat, eyeing Glenn as he did so. He knew he was going to have to ask him about having condoms and he really would rather shove shards of glass up his nose than to have that conversation.

Glenn made to get up, picking up his plate, "Isaac said he would show me the lion exhibit. They are having a problem with one of the gates sticking at the enclosure. Thought maybe I could help." Glenn finished, shrugging his shoulders a bit.

Daryl nodded at him. He wouldn't argue that. Though he had been helpless at first when it came to the mechanics of things, between him and Dale he now had a good working knowledge of most things containing a motor.

"Hey, wait up a sec. I need to ask you somethin'," Daryl's voice was rushed before he lost his nerve. He turned to Beth and leaned over, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek. "Be right back, Princess."

Beth smiled softly in surprise at the spontaneous display of affection. "Okay, see you in a bit." She brought her hand up to her cheek. Watching him leave with Glenn, Beth couldn't help but wonder what they were talking about. She had a pretty good idea and it made her think of what he had probably done in the shower when he insisted that she go back to their room and he would meet her there.

"What's up with those two," Maggie asked. "They seem so secretive these days."

Beth looked up at her sister, "I think Daryl might be asking Glenn for condoms." She could feel the blush creep up in her cheeks.

Maggie put down her fork and looked up starkly at her baby sister. "Serious, Bethie?" Maggie's voice had jumped at least a whole octave.

"Shh, Maggie, everyone here will know," Beth said shyly. It was all so new that she didn't want anything to get messed up.

"Know what? You still didn't do it yet?" Maggie asked candidly.

"Not yet," Beth admitted. "But we're going to tonight," Beth looked at her sister expecting admonishment or a lecture about being careful but instead Maggie leaned over and enveloped her in a big hug.

"My sister is finally losing her V-card," Maggie whispered and Beth blushed even further.

"Mags, you're terrible," Beth said, but there was no bite in her words. All her nervousness and trepidation aside, she couldn't wait to take this next step with Daryl. Every nerve and muscle, every fiber of her being was on edge, knowing what was coming tonight.

Across the common area, Daryl was still trying to figure out a way to ask Glenn what he needed. He was pretty sure they had them; he knew they had a scare a few months back thinking Maggie was pregnant. The horrible way Lori had died stayed with them. It was a part of them now and it was hard to forget that this might not be a world for babies anymore.

"What's up," Glenn asked. He had to admit that he was curious as to what he was wanting. Daryl didn't often approach people, least of all him. 

Daryl toed the dead grass at the edge of the commons with his boot. "I was wonderin'. I know you and Maggie go at it like rabbits. Do you have any condoms?" There he had said it. He looked to Glenn and waited for the fallout that was bound to occur.

"I have a big box of them and you're welcome to as many as you want," Glenn smiled at Daryl. Watching Daryl and Beth together the past few days had been agonizing to say the least. Maggie had been most perturbed by it. The sexual tension between the two of them was palpable to everyone around them whether they realized it or not.

Daryl looked up suddenly. "What?" he said. He guessed that this is what it felt like to have a friend. He had a genuine need and Glenn was coming through. He let out the breath he had started to hold when he got up from the table and followed Glenn over here. "Thanks man, can you tell me where they are at so I can get them on our way back," Daryl looked away then, unable to meet Glenn's eyes then. 

In another lifetime when he was a different person altogether, he might be bragging about the fact that a beautiful blonde was going home on his arm. But this was an apocalyptic world and things like that didn't matter. Furthermore, it wasn't like that with him and Beth. It wasn't about who was taking who home, because home was what they found in each other. Being with Beth was like coming home, everything warm and familiar where you could kick back and be yourself. That's what it was like for him, ever since they had left the prison. Being with Beth was like being home. It was a foreign feeling to him since it wasn't like he'd ever really felt a sense of home anywhere in this godforsaken world. Until now. 

"I'll tell you what. I'll be passing right by our dorms on the way to the lion exhibit. I'll take a few to your room."

Daryl looked at Glenn and nodded. "Thanks man. I guess I owe ya," Daryl said.

"Nah, after the other night letting me and Maggie have time to ourselves. Let's just call it even," Glenn said.

Daryl just nodded. Glenn said his goodbye and Daryl walked back over to where Beth and Maggie were bent head to head and whispering.

"If you wanna see those penguins, we better get going. It's going to get dark soon." He noted, looking at the sun setting in the distance. The air had a distinct chill in it that was different than this morning.

Everyone in the courtyard of the common area gasped just then and Beth looked up where there were twinkle lights strung here and there and they were actually on. Beth looked around wildly, searching for the source.

Rin walked over to their table, grinning widely. "We turn them on every night for two minutes. We have solar powered generators, but we can't waste all the juice. Everyone is usually all quiet like they are right now and then they turn off."

Beth nodded. "I think that's nice." And it was.

Solar generators. This place was better set up for a natural disaster than most army bunkers, thought Daryl.

"Are the penguins down this way?" Beth pointed to an area beyond the camper.

"No they are up that way. Just past the dorms where you are staying," Rin explained and showed them the map again.

Beth and Daryl thanked her for the directions and bid Maggie goodnight. As they started on the path, they were completely alone and Daryl reached down and took her hand, lacing their fingers together.

They walked in companionable silence, not wanting to break this peaceful vibe they had going. They passed their dorm room and just beyond that and over the ridge, there was a very nice natural habitat for the penguins; a glass enclosure with a huge, man-made, clear lake for them to swim through. Most impressive though was the giant pool behind the boulder in the glass enclosure. The penguins could slide through the tiny opening and swim to their hearts delight. Beth marveled at them, her attention caught on a pair of them.

"Most penguins mate for life. These here probably met when they were of mating age and have been together ever since, meeting up every year for mating season, " Beth looked at Daryl and he turned to look at her, taking in everything she said and watching her face as she told her story.

"When they have found a suitable mate, they find a smooth polished stone that is usually saved for making a nest for the eggs that would result. The male penguin would walk over to the female and set it at her feet. It was kind of like a betrothal or an engagement." Beth whispered the last part. This story got her every time. Her Dad had told her that story; he had said it was how he got Annette to marry him. She had told him the story and he had gotten her a ring and placed it at her feet.

Daryl looked at her, watching her weave her tale. She was full of little tidbits like this. "You're so smart, Beth." Daryl breathed pressing his forehead to hers and breathing her in.

"I don't know about that. Maybe a hopeless romantic though," Beth laughed.

"Hopeless, no it's never hopeless." Daryl brought his hand up to her cheek and traced his fingers over her jaw line. "Not anymore".

Beth drew in a shaky breath. "It's getting dark. Should we go and come back tomorrow?" Beth asked, trying to play off the fact that she wanted him something bad right now.

"Thought you'd never ask." Daryl put out his arm in a crook so she could put her arm through it.

"Ever the chivalrous one," Beth teased but only a little. She liked that he was always displaying romantic gestures. She knew that he probably got most of them from notions on movies, but that made it all the sweeter.

"Only with you, Beth," was Daryl's reply. Beth smiled softly at him as they walked the short distance back to their building.

They finally arrived back at the dorm which was still empty of anyone else. Maggie and Glenn were off doing their thing and Lucky had not come to find them yet. Isaac had said that he decided to nap at the lion's enclosure making certain Aslan behaved. Or maybe he had developed a strange affection for the giant cat. Who knew.

She and Daryl were going to be truly alone and in the next few minutes, they would likely be naked in front of each other. Just the thought had every nerve in her body jangling. She took a deep breath in an effort to steady her erratic heartbeat. It's just Daryl, she told herself.

Daryl glanced around the room trying to figure out where Glenn might have put the condoms. He finally spotted them sticking out of the drawer on his side of the bed. Daryl closed the door to their dorm room, throwing the lock just in case. He turned around to find that Beth was standing by the bed on her side and looking at him. Daryl took a deep breath, he didn't think he had ever been so nervous. No, he knew he had never felt this way. He tried to remind himself that this was just Beth. And he loved her and this was his chance to really show her how much she meant to him. He felt a little bit better about how things would go since he took care of business that afternoon in the shower. It hadn't taken too long; all he had to do was think about Beth and her sweet lips and perfectly round firm breasts and he was done for.

He placed his crossbow on the floor and propped it against the wall. He stood back up and looked at Beth, all the uncertainty evident in her eyes. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth. He crossed the room slowly until all the distance had dissipated and he was standing right in front of her. He looked down into her eyes. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he breathed, bringing his hands up to rub down her arms.

Beth nodded sagely, "You better not back out on me, Daryl Dixon." She whispered, a tiny hint of a smile turning up the corners of her mouth.

"Not a chance. I was just makin' sure," he assured her and smiled right back.

Beth reached up and began unbuttoning her blouse. Daryl was looking at her so intently, her fingers were shaking a bit.

"Let me." Daryl said as he reached up and stilled her hands over the buttons. She moved her hands down to her sides and watched as he slowly undid each and every button and slid the shirt off her slim shoulders. He reached up and touched his hand to the side of her neck. Beth felt an intense wave of desire wash over her as he looked at her. He moved his hand then to the hem of her tank top and pushed it up slowly, slowly, peeling it off of her and casting it onto the floor along with her blouse. Daryl had to inhale deeply, suddenly unable to breathe with Beth standing before him, her pale breasts jutting out and her pink nipples standing at attention.

Beth moved her hands from where they had been clenched at her sides and moved them up to the vest, slipping her hands under the soft warm leather and letting it slide from his shoulders where it fell onto the bed. She met his eyes as she reached for the hem of his t-shirt, pulling it upward. He reached down and grasped it pulling it over his head and casting it aside. Beth moved both hands to his chest and slid her palms ever so slowly across his pecs until she reached his shoulders. Beth ran her hands slowly back down Daryl's chest and abdomen, trailing her fingers lightly along as she went. She moved her hand to his waistband and began working at the button. She felt Daryl's sharp intake of breath at her touch.

Daryl watched Beth undress him and he knew he had never experienced anything more erotic than watching Beth's eyes as she took in the sight of him shirtless. When she moved her hand to the button of his jeans, it all became real for him. They really were about to do this, and he wasn't afraid of it, at least not in the conventional sense of the word. He just really wanted it to be special for her. He knew the first time could hurt and he wanted to make sure it was as pleasurable for her as possible.

Daryl put one hand on each breast, kneading experimentally and heard Beth hiss at the unexpected touch. Her fingers worked faster, drawing the zipper on his jeans down. She then moved her hands back up to his hips and slid her fingers inside the waistband of the jeans and pushed them slowly over Daryl's hips until they were in a heap around his ankles. Daryl slid his hands down to her pants, looking into her eyes, asking silently. She nodded and he unbuttoned her pants and moved to her zipper, sliding it down slowly. 

He looked up at her then; he was only in his boxers and he slowly slid her tight jeans lower and lower over her hips until they fell onto the floor. She side stepped them easily. Daryl's breath caught in his chest when he saw the pale yellow panties she was wearing. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Unable to control himself any longer, he pulled her into his arms and bent her backwards over his arm, bringing his lips to hers in a bone-crushing kiss. He wanted to taste all of her; he was nearly wild with desire. Having Beth undress him completely was erotic, fun, sexy and daring; all of the things he had ever done in the bedroom before.

Beth watched Daryl's eyes as he gazed at her appreciatively, clad only in her underwear. She took in the sight of him, broad shoulders for miles, perfect pecs that tapered down into rock hard abs and finally his narrow hips. Beth could see the evidence of his desire. She knew when he took her in his arms and kissed her, she had never wanted anything more in her entire life than this with Daryl. She moaned against his lips.

Daryl walked them backwards until they were near the top of the bed. He laid her down gently on the mattress. He stood there and watched her as she arranged herself on the pillows, amazed by her beauty, her insanely long blonde hair fanned out over the pillow. He took it all in from the soft look on her face, the hollow at the base of her throat, her delicate shoulders, her firm round breasts with their pale pink nipples already hard, her flat tummy and legs that went on forever. He skimmed his gaze back up, wishing he had taken her panties off her. He would like nothing more than to see her, all of her.

"You are so goddamned beautiful, Princess," he murmured as he sat down beside her, reaching for the waistband of her panties. "Is it okay if I take these off now?" He asked her. She looked up at him with half-lidded eyes, the black bleeding out the blue and nodded at him.

He reached over and looped his fingers in each side of her panties and slid them downward as she lifted her hips up. He went even harder, if that was possible, inside his boxers as his eyes came to rest on the small tangle of light blond curls at the apex of her thighs. It took every ounce of restraint he had to not touch her there immediately. He wanted to, oh fuck he wanted to, but there were other parts of her body that needed the attention of his fingers before he could go there just yet. His breathing had become ragged.

"It's only fair if you took mine off, you have to take yours off, too," Beth looked up at him, her eyes twinkling. She would be lying if she said she didn't like him looking at her, seeing the unmasked desire in his eyes as he gazed upon her most private places. 

Daryl smirked at her and stood up again, hooking a thumb in each side of his boxers and removed them in one motion, letting them fall to the floor and his erection springing forward immediately.

Beth let out an audible gasp at seeing him and the evidence of his desire. She had expected him to be of good size, but now she found herself wondering how he was going to fit.

Daryl wasn't sure how to feel exactly. He had been naked with girls before but not on this level of intimacy. Undressing each other had so far been the best experience of his life. When he heard her gasp, he chuckled a bit. "Don't worry Princess, we'll go slow, I promise," He said as he laid down beside her. At first he was afraid to touch her, afraid he would hurt her somehow or do the wrong thing.

Beth leaned into him, simultaneously hands meeting skin and lips meeting lips. She ran her tongue lightly over the seam of his lips and he opened them willingly and accepted her tongue. She was running her hands up and down his abdomen, tracing lower each time she went. Finally in a bold move, she skimmed her hand over his hip and down his leg before moving back up and taking him in her hand, softly squeezing a little and marveling in the fact that he was hers at least for this one moment. Daryl gasped a little. He moved his hand down to where hers was on his hardened member and moved her hand up and down, showing her with his hands what felt good to him. She caught on fast, moving her hand up and down, sliding over the skin. Daryl let out a low moan against her mouth. He continued kissing her and moved one hand over her breast, kneading, feeling her nipple harden even further. He tore his lips from hers and moved his lips lower, trailing soft kisses over her jawline. He moved her hair to the side and she turned her head giving his lips full access. He spread fiery kisses over her neck, hearing her gasp and moan, her breaths coming shaky and uneven.

She suddenly moved her hand lower and thrust her hand over his cock all the way to the base and the feeling was so exquisite he cried out against her neck. Beth smiled to herself, thoroughly enjoying every minute of this. Listening to Daryl's voice become even raspier with desire, feeling his heart beat against her bare breasts, the way he looked at her lying half beneath him, completely naked, both physically and emotionally. She knew she had never felt anything more delicious than that before. As he kissed her neck, she could feel the dampness spreading between her legs. Everything felt like it was swollen and on fire and she longed for him to touch her there. She subconsciously lifted her hips slightly off the bed her unconscious desire driving her body to want things she had never wanted before. He moved his hand from her breast to skim slowly down over her ribs, over her flat abdomen and finally hovering right above where her thighs met. Beth instinctively dropped her legs out to the sides and held her breath.

"You ever touch yourself here?" Daryl whispered his eyes trained on her even as his finger hovered at her wet folds.

Beth nodded at him, not trusting herself to speak. She was surprised that she was so readily able to admit that to him.

Daryl nodded; the thought of her doing that to herself was enough to make him cum then and there. He slid one finger along her sex and groaned when he felt how wet she was already. "So fucking wet," he murmured. His cock twitched against his leg, thinking about how good it was going to feel to sink himself into her. But he knew that before he could do that, he wanted to make sure she was really ready for him.

Beth moaned as Daryl touched her, teasing the seam of her lips and finally slipping one finger inside her moist folds and finding her clit. She gasped then. She had pleasured herself many a time but it had never felt as good as this. She wasn't entirely sure she had ever had an orgasm. It wasn't like things were exactly private at the prison. Daryl moved his fingers up and down, tracing lazy circles over her swollen clit. She wiggled her hips a little and then he suddenly pushed one finger inside her, feeling her walls clench around his finger and she cried out. "Daryl!"

Hearing her scream his name was nearly his undoing but he concentrated on the task at hand. Daryl was drawing on every bit of experience he had and was coming up empty on exactly how to make her come apart. He knew that sex the first time would probably not do it for her, so he wanted to make sure she got to come before he ever thought about burying himself inside her. He wanted to make her pant with need and watch her come undone beneath his hand.

Beth had since stopped moving her hands over his cock, giving herself over to the intense pleasure he was creating between her legs. She propped herself up on her elbows and found that watching him work on making her come was extremely erotic and dizzying.

"Am I in the right spot?," He asked her. He had never felt comfortable talking during sex before, but he did with Beth. Everything with her just felt natural as breathin'.

"Yes," she said breathily, as he moved his finger in rapid tighter circles around her clit.

"Just like this?" He asked as he continued ministering to her with his fingers.

"Yes, maybe." She gasped as an intense wave of pleasure washed over her. "Maybe," she breathed but she couldn't finish.

"Maybe what, Princess? Tell me what you like." Daryl asked her.

"Maybe a little to the left?" It was half question, half statement. Daryl complied immediately and began moving his finger in circles again working that hardened nub. He knew he must be doing something right because Beth's breathing had hitched and was coming in rapid pants.

"Come for me Princess," he breathed and that seemed to be all she needed to push her over the edge.

Just like that, Beth lost all control, her brows furrowed with passion as she screamed his name. "Daryl! Oh god, Daryl."

Beth had told him a little to the left and when he moved his fingers again, it was like the last piece of a combination lock clicking into place and she felt herself spiraling over the edge, all her muscles quivering and clenching. Every single nerve fiber concentrated on that one hardened nub and radiating out from there, the contractions orbiting her spine and swirling pleasantly deep in her belly and washing down over her legs and back up again, each wave ebbing off as she was finally spent. She finally opened her eyes to find Daryl grinning down at her.

"Holy shit, Beth, that was fucking hot to watch," Daryl whispered. He was rock hard now.

Beth was still trying to catch her breath. "That was incredible," she breathed. "I feel like I need you inside me now, Daryl." She said and her innocence was nearly enough to double him over. Sometimes, at moments like this, he realized just how much he loved her.

"Thank god, because that's all I want right now; just to be inside you," Daryl rolled over across her, keeping his weight off her and reached for one of the condoms, still sticking out of the drawer.

He unwrapped it and looked up at her, her face etched in surprise. "Where did you find those?" Beth asked, smiling.

"Glenn," Daryl muttered. Beth giggled. She couldn't help it. Somehow the picture of Daryl going to ask Glenn for protection entered her mind and she could not stop herself.

"Yeah, don't even get me started," Daryl muttered as he slid the condom down his hardened cock. He looked back up at her then, the amusement all gone now as she had watched him do it.

She was wide-eyed and he saw the most amazing expression of love and trust on her face. "You ready?" he asked her. "We still don't have to do this. We can wait." Daryl said and he meant it.

"I don't want to wait anymore Daryl. I want this. I want you," she emphasized.

He nodded. "I'm gonna try not to hurt you, but I don't know if it can be helped." He grimaced then.

"I don't care if it hurts. I know eventually it will feel good and it's all that matters to me," Beth whispered.

That was all the encouragement he needed. He positioned himself over her, resting all his weight on his arms braced on either side of her head. He held himself over her opening and reached down so he could guide his cock into her. He took a deep breath and slowly eased himself inside, not quite believing that they were actually doing this. He moaned at how very tight she was. But once he was seated inside her, he stilled himself, waiting for her to adjust. Then he finally let himself feel it; all of it. All of her. Because she felt so fucking good, it was going to be torture trying to keep himself still until she adjusted.

Beth took a deep breath and wrapped her legs around him, gripping his hips on each side with her thighs. When he slid himself inside her, it hadn't hurt at first, but when he pushed himself further inside with the second thrust, she felt something that felt like a tear and a searing pain. She cried out a little, just a gasp of surprise that it actually had hurt like everyone said it would. But Daryl was stock still inside of her, not moving an inch.

"You okay?" He asked her and pressed his lips to hers in a tender kiss.

"Yeah, hurt a little, but it's better now." She wiggled her hips experimentally.

Daryl groaned, unsure how much longer he was going to be able to stay still but willing to do it for as long as necessary just the same. "I'm sorry Princess, I wish there was something I could do about that."

"I don't. I want to feel it all," She said, that look of hope and trust back in her eyes as she thrust her hips a little. "Make love to me Daryl," she said as she brought her lips up to his.

He sighed and groaned at the same time, finally moving again, slowly pulling himself nearly all the way out and pushing himself inside her again, and he moaned loudly at the combined sensation of friction, heat and how very wet she was. He had been so wrong. Taking care of things might have helped a little but he still wasn't going to last long. He brought his lips to hers again, pushing his tongue into her mouth and her readily accepting him. He tried not to think too much about the fact that he was invading her every orifice and it felt so fucking good and so wrong at the same time, because being with Beth felt so amazing it had to be a sin.

Beth began to pant harder again and started meeting him thrust for thrust. Daryl's hands sought out hers and he linked their fingers together and brought their hands up over her head, pumping himself in and out of her. Beth loved that they were holding hands through this. She thrust her hips again as she watched his expressions. His brow was furrowed and his mouth dropped open, his breathing now ragged and fast. "I'm comin'," he whispered loudly.

Beth watched as all the sensations washed over him. His brow crinkled even further, his expression a strange mixture of pleasure and pain as he cried out her name, "Beth."

He knew he wasn't going to last long but he had no idea that it was going to come as quick as it did and with little warning. He felt the pressure building up in him, tighter and tighter, spiraling inward until all his muscles clenched up as he went over the edge, feeling all the coils spring loose at once, releasing the pressure and he cried out, "Beth." As his orgasm finally hit him hard, his muscles contracting and relaxing, all coherent thought was lost and he felt positively light headed. As he found his final release, he withdrew from her, taking care to keep the condom on until he removed it and threw it into the wastebasket beside the bed. He rolled over and pulled her into his arms, half afraid to meet her gaze. If she regretted what they had just done, it would destroy him.

He brought his eyes slowly to meet hers and to his relief, she was smiling. He pressed a kiss to her lips and then her forehead and finally her nose. "You okay, Princess?" He murmured against her ear.

"Better than okay," Beth whispered.

"It didn't hurt too bad, did it?" He asked her. He hated that he had hurt her, but there really had been no way around it. He ran his hand slowly up and down her arm loving how her head fit so perfectly in the crook between his shoulder and head.

Beth pulled herself back a little to look up at him. "It hurt a little, but it was worth it. 'Cause once the hurt was gone, it felt good. Really good." She grinned up at him. He pressed a quick kiss to her lips then.

She rested her head back against his chest and wanted to stay where she was forever, tucked away in Daryl's arms; the only place she had ever really felt truly safe. "Daryl?" she murmured as she traced lazy circles into his side.

Daryl hummed his response, "Hmmmm?" He was feeling extremely relaxed and sated.

"I'm glad I waited for you." She whispered.

Daryl felt that same tug again, that tug on his heart that told him it belonged only to her. "Me too, Princess. Me too." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I love you, Beth."

"I love you too." Beth smiled against his chest as her eyes fluttered closed. As she drifted off to sleep, her last thought was that Daryl was her penguin; her soul mate for life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, what do you think? Their first time. Swoon. I can't wait until we get them back together on the show. Just gahhhh. And can someone please tell my muse to stop giving me more and more ideas. I am drowning in fic updates!!


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So yeah stuff happens and thangs and I make no apologies. I had a lot of feels while writing this.

Chapter 18

 

_

"Now we're standing side by side;

What it takes to come alive.

It's the way I'm feeling I just can't deny

Got to let it go

We found love in a hopeless place

We found love in a hopeless place"

We Found Love by Lindsey Stirling

_

Daryl awoke the next morning, looking at the window unsure if it was even close to morning. The sky looked pretty grey through the high windows lining the wall of the dorm room. Beth stirred beside him when he strained to get a better look. He settled back down and watched her in the limbo state between sleep and wakefulness, thinking that the ways her eyelashes fluttered across her cheeks was the most interesting thing happening in the entire universe and that he could watch it all day. He didn't try to think on the absurdity of the thought. He didn't even try to anymore; his thoughts had strayed towards the most romantic and strange and so unlike him that it had become a way of life with Beth. Seemed like ever since that night they burned down that cabin, it had been like this. It had gotten so he didn't know any other way to be with her than to just lay it all out there so she knew exactly how he felt. Maybe not in as many words. He figured he'd never be very good at that. But in romantic gestures and his chivalrous manner, he figured he had that in spades. He'd seen a lot of movies and read a lot of books; he'd picked up a thing or two.

Sometimes he wished he had been into porn like Merle had been. He guessed that might be why the ladies followed Merle around endlessly; he had picked up a thing or two as well, he thought mirthlessly. But again, Merle had picked up more than his fair share of sexually transmitted diseases. God, he missed him. Even if he had been a pain in the ass, Merle was still his brother. But if Daryl had been into porn, he might have known exactly what to do to please Beth instead of having to ask her but somehow he really wasn't sorry. Being able to ask her what she needed from him to get her to orgasm, it had endeared her to him even more and also had been hot as fuck.

Beth opened her eyes to find Daryl looking at her intently she was inclined to blush except that it was too early in the morning and after what they had done the night before, she wasn't sure blushing was appropriate anymore. She smiled up at him. "G'morning. '' Her voice was all raspy in the morning and she hated it. She clutched the covers around her a little tighter.

"Good morning yourself. How'd ya sleep?" Daryl fingered the top of the covers, hovering just over one creamy white breast. He was trying very hard to control himself when all he really wanted to do was rip the covers off her and have his way with her, but he knew she had to be sore after last night, so instead he satisfied himself with running his fingers over her shoulders and pulling her close, leaning in and brushing his lips over hers, just a bare hint of a kiss.

Beth's eyes fluttered closed as Daryl kissed her ever so tenderly. She nearly melted into the bed then, it was so sweet. She sighed against his lips. He pulled away all too soon, his fingers lingering at her shoulders and running his hand alongside her neck , absently playing with her hair.

"I slept great thanks to you. I always sleep great in your arms, though," she admitted shyly.

"To think I used to try to keep myself from sleeping with you. Because I wanted to avoid wanting you." Daryl admitted sheepishly, ducking his head a bit when Beth giggled.

"That's why you didn't want to sleep in the same bed as me? Because you didn't trust yourself?" Beth watched Daryl with the way he looked at her that slight smile on his face like he had a secret and he wasn't ready to divulge it just yet. It reminded her again of that time in the kitchen of that funeral home. What Daryl wasn't so good as stringing words together, the different vibes his eyes gave off spoke actual volumes. Beth placed her hands on either side of his face. "Baby, don't you know that was bound to happen sooner or later anyway? Why else would the two of us have gotten out together? Alone?" She pressed her lips to his then and pulled back to look at him. "Daryl, I just know in my heart of hearts that I was made to love you and only you."

"I love you too." Daryl knew that his heart simultaneously shattered and glued itself back together in one instant, like all the walls he had built around it had just came tumbling down. And now there was only Beth holding him together. He didn't even care if it felt like it made him seem vulnerable. Because with Beth, he felt alive and that felt better than every half-assed attempt he had ever made constructing those walls to keep out the hurt in the world.

He ached to make love to her in that moment. "Are you very sore?"

"A little, why?" Beth wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Want me to use another of my favors?"

Daryl chuckled low then, pulling her into his arms and flush against his chest, loving the way her breasts pressed against his bare skin. "Maybe." He had an idea. He nuzzled his face against her neck and lightly nipped. "Do you trust me?" Daryl pulled back to look at her, looking into her eyes.

Daryl's gaze was met with one of equal parts trust and desire. Desire that was barely even disguised behind those baby blues of hers. Beth nodded her head. "Of course I trust you, Daryl." Beth murmured, running her hands up between them, splaying her hands over his chest.

Daryl pressed his lips to hers and teased her lips open with his tongue and sliding it in, his tongue dancing over hers and tasting her warmth and loving how pliant her body was against his, molding herself to him.

Beth brought her hands up over Daryl's back, her fingers skimming over his scars and for once, he never even flinched. Daryl broke their kiss and she whimpered a bit at the loss of contact. He spread a trail of fiery kisses across her cheeks and slowly, ever slowly down her jaw line, tracing each line of kisses before his lips arrived to take the place of his fingers. He traveled lower, his lips hovering over the hollow at the base of her throat, feeling the thrum of her pulse beneath his lips as he gently sucked there. He moved his lips lower and looked up at her, catching her gaze as she watched him worship her body with his lips.

He reached between them and tugged the covers off of her, exposing her breasts to him, her rosy pink nipples already standing at attention. He looked at her, giving a wolfish grin and Beth nodded her head at him as he dipped his head over one breast and then the other, laving his tongue around the nipple before pulling it into his mouth and sucking while alternately kneading the breast. He trailed his lips down over her abdomen, slowly in a zigzag pattern, not wanting to miss an inch of her body. It became necessary at this point to completely rid of her the blanket that she was now clutching more of a means of hanging on than for any real warmth. Daryl pulled away for a moment to contemplate her gorgeous lithe body, knowing that there weren't enough lifetimes for him to properly explore each and every curve and nuance, but he was going to start trying right now. He took in all the lines of her body, the curve of her hip, the dip into her abdomen and the tangle of curls at the top of her sex, already glistening with want. He licked his lips as he brought his mouth back to her body, kissing his way down her abdomen.

Beth had been wrong, so wrong about thinking a blush was not appropriate any longer in their relationship. As Daryl moved lower and lower, kissing every inch of her and he hovered where every nerve ending was fairly tingling at this point; she realized what he meant to do and a quick blush spread like wildfire over her cheeks. She had heard about this and even though it made her skin fire up red at the thought of him kissing her there, she couldn't wait to feel it. He was looking up, his question silent in the air between them. Beth just nodded her head rapidly and as the realization of what he was about to do overtook her, her breath caught in her chest and she willingly dropped her legs open under his watchful gaze.

Daryl nearly came the moment she opened her legs to him. She was glistening and he could hardly wait to taste her. He positioned himself between her thighs and moved his hands up under her hips. He started by spreading slow kisses over the insides of her thighs, alternately nipping and licking the tender flesh there. He smiled against her as he felt her hips begin to wiggle impatiently.

Daryl thought again how he wished he had been more into porn and wished he had paid more attention but he wanted to try this. He thought it might be a good way to get her to come without having to make her more sore. He hovered his mouth over her and slid one finger into her moist folds, all slickness and velvet. Then he brought his mouth to her and flicked his tongue out tracing the seam of her lips. He heard Beth gasp then. He looked up at her to see that she had thrown her head back and had her mouth hanging open now.

He experimentally dragged his tongue up over her slit and slid his tongue inside her folds, tasting all of her and loving it. He moved his tongue up to her clit and swirled it slowly around the hardened nub and Beth bucked against his mouth. He moved one hand from under her hips and used it to pin her hip lightly to the bed.

He used the other hand to pull her against his mouth as he tongued in and around that sensitive nub of flesh in a rhythmic motion. She whimpered and gripped the sheets beside her thighs. "Daryl," she breathed.

He pulled his mouth away from her and she nearly cried out in frustration. She was almost there.

"Like this?" He put his tongue back to swirling around her clit.

"Yes like that," He went back to work on her her, moving both hands again to grasp her hips and seat his mouth fully against her, his chin right against her sensitive opening and his tongue still working circles.

Beth suddenly gasped and gripped the sheets tighter. Something about the way the scruff on his chin hit her in just the right spot, the sensitive skin there prickling already combined with the delicious feeling of the friction of his tongue against her sent a shock down her spine. "That right there, please don't stop."

Daryl didn't move an inch for a second, memorizing the position of his tongue and every other place his body was touching her in any way. He cupped her ass and pulled her against him, seating his chin against her even more and as he darted his tongue out, flicking it back and forth over her clit, he experimentally moved his jaw up and down, and he felt her muscles in her body begin to clench up.

When Daryl moved his jaw, creating the most delightful combination of friction and tingling from his beard combined with the rapturous feeling of his tongue on that sensitive nub, all the combined sensations sent her teetering right over the edge into the abyss. She threw her head back and as she finally shattered apart she didn't care because she knew he would lovingly put her back together. As the most powerful contraction of her orgasm rocked her body, she literally felt she saw stars as her eyes rolled back and she screamed his name, "Daryl!"

Outside the room, Glenn and Maggie paused mid knock when they heard Beth scream Daryl's name in a quite unmistakable way. Maggie's mouth formed an 'o' and she turned to look at Glenn whose expression mirrored her own. They crept back the way they had come and figured news of the thick blanket of snow that had fallen over night over the entire zoo could wait another hour. Maggie pulled a piece of paper out of her pack and scrawled out a note of where they would be.

They went on out to meet the others up the hill from the dorms, closing the gate behind them. Rin and a guy Maggie didn't know were waiting on them. "They not comin'?" Rin asked, a little concerned.

Glenn and Maggie snickered to themselves at Rin's choice of words. "Yeah, they'll be along in a while. We should just go ahead and see the penguins." Maggie and Glenn trudged after Rin. The guy who was with her turned around. "Hey I'm Austin," he said, smiling at the two of them.

"I'm Maggie and this is my husband Glenn," She smiled at the man, thinking he was quite handsome with his dark black hair and crystal blue eyes. She also saw the way his eyes passed over Rin's retreating form. There was something there, but she wondered if Rin knew it. They walked for a few minutes, shuffling through the snow, their breath forming puffs of smoke in the air ahead of them.

When they reached the penguin enclosure, Maggie noticed that they had a small part of the enclosure blocked off where people could go in two or three at a time and interact with the penguins. Isaac was in the thick of it, with a big bucket of fish. Maggie had learned last night at dinner that in addition to the multiple garden plots and fruit trees there was also a large fully stocked lake on the property. It had been one of the main sources of food for the penguins and other arctic birds as well as people who had flocked there seeking sanctuary after the turn.

Maggie and Glenn waited their turn, watching as the people in their new community enjoyed the break from the day to day chores and routine to play with the penguins. They were there for perhaps an hour and a half before Maggie saw Beth and Daryl trudge up the hill, letting them inside the fences of where the crowd had thinned out somewhat.

"What's going on?," Beth met Maggie's gaze shyly. She knew they had talked about it last night but finding the note from them this morning knowing what they had done for most of that time had her wondering what exactly her sister had heard.

The smirk in Maggie's look told her everything she needed to know. "Don't even start Mags," she hissed at her.

"I didn't say a word, Bethie," Maggie grinned nonetheless at the blush spread over her baby sister's cheeks. She didn't miss the way Daryl had his fingers entwined in Beth's. These two had a special way with each other and while one might think the pair to be unconventional, it just worked.

"So what's everyone doing," Beth asked looking around the enclosure and feeling her heard flutter when she saw the penguins waddling about and sliding along on the snow covered grass.

"We were feeding the penguins their lunch, but they're all done now," Maggie looked at her sister pointedly.

Isaac let out a whoop suddenly and they all turned to see what the fuss was about. "There you are Nigel," the large man crooned.

"Beth, is it?" Isaac looked to Beth. "You want to feed the penguins. I understand you have quite a love for them."

Beth beamed at him and pulled Daryl along beside her. "Of course I want to feed them," She looked to Daryl.

"I told you we didn't miss nothin'," He murmured but smiled nonetheless.

He let go of her hand to watch her go over to the bucket and retrieve a fish out of the bottom. She held it out to the penguin in question, Nigel. The way she reached down into the bucket and just grabbed the fish up caught him a little unawares. Most girls he had ever known would have balked at such a thing but Beth didn't give two thoughts to it. She knelt down where Nigel was standing and looking at her, eyeing her warily. Seeming to listen to her gently lilting voice, calling him over, Nigel waddled closer to Beth and took the fish gingerly out of her hand.

Beth turned and looked at Daryl to see if he was watching. He was. And it warmed her heart to know it.

Daryl kicked at the ground then and saw it then; a smooth round, brownish grey stone. He glanced to be sure no one was looking and picked it up, worrying the surface between his fingers and letting the remaining dust flake off. He placed it in his pocket, looking to where Beth had turned her attention back to the penguin. The penguin, evidently having sensed a friend was letting Beth pet his head. He ducked down then and flipped around on the snow, seeming to show off. Beth laughed then and turned to look at him again. His heart in that moment felt like it flipped around just like that penguin had when he realized what he meant to do with the stone. It was because of that moment, her turning to look at him, and a thousand other ones just like it. If he could have just those moments with her and nothing else, he knew that it would be more than enough in this life.

He walked over to where she knelt with the penguin. He waited for her to finish. It was nearly time to head back even by the time they had gotten out here after their morning lovemaking session. She stood up and brushed her hands on the back of her pants and looked up at him expectantly. "What is it?" She asked him.

Daryl reached his hand out and waited for Beth to take it. When she did, he pulled her over to the side of the enclosure where not as many people were standing and gawking about, but making sure that Glenn and Maggie could see what was going on.

He stood her against the side wall of the exhibit and pulled the stone out of his pocket. He brushed it off on the back of his leather jacket and placed it on the top of her boot. "I know you said this is the way your Daddy got your mama to marry him. I don't think I could ever become the half the man your dad was, but I'd sure like to try. With you."

Beth brought her hands to her lips and for one sickening moment, a millisecond perhaps, Daryl thought he had gone and done the wrong thing until he looked into her eyes and saw the unfailing love that he always found there.

"Daryl Dixon, are you asking me what I think you're asking me?" Beth could hardly choke out the words and she could hear Maggie behind her trying to hold back a sob.

Daryl just looked down at her and nodded, relieved and terrified all at the same time. But no matter how scared he was of what he was saying to her and in putting himself out there like this, he was more afraid of never being able to tell her at all, never being able to prove to her how he felt about her.

Beth bent down and picked the stone up from her boot, clutching it in her palm, and threw herself against him and looped her arms around his neck, pressing her lips to his. "Then yes. Yes, I'll marry you." She breathed, leaning her forehead against his.

Letting out a long breath, he pulled her against him and lifted her off the ground. "Thank god." He murmured against her hair and she chuckled.

Maggie walked over to them then, Glenn following close behind. "Daryl, I didn't have you pegged as the romantic type. That story is part of our family. Now you are too."

Daryl shrugged, not really knowing what to say to that, just nodding his head and fighting against the tears pricking the backs of his eyelids. Family. That's what this was. If Beth was like coming home, then the feeling he got when Maggie told him that with Glenn smiling like a fool at him too, was like coming full circle of that feeling. He knew that he loved Beth and all the things that came with her. Family was just a bonus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so yeah that was kind of uhm, interesting? I blame the beard stuff and thangs.


	19. Chapter 19

The group broke up a bit after Daryl's proposal and even Maggie and Glenn wandered off heading back to the Watering Hole for lunch.

Daryl looked at her a little uncertainly. "I ain't never been so scared in my life as giving you that." He admitted, looking down at her as he traced lazy s-patterns over the side of her neck.

Beth looked up at him smiling softly. She had never had a more content moment than the one she was feeling right now. Like nothing else and no one else in the whole world even mattered. And Beth was happy in that one moment to pretend like the world outside this sanctuary had fallen away and all the bad along with it.

"You should have known I'd say yes, silly." She gently admonished him.

Snow had started falling again and the penguins were reveling in it, slipping and sliding around. The ends of Beth's hair were getting soaked with the weight of the melting snow, but she didn't care. She could stay here all day in Daryl's arms.

"I may never get used to you, ya know." Daryl bent his head to hers and brushed his lips lightly over hers, then pulled back as he looped his arms around her neck lazily and pressing his forehead to hers, breathing her in. It was true. He didn't know if he would ever get used to her and he didn't know if it was a bad thing or a good thing the way his heart nearly flapped right out of his chest every time he was hit with the force of his love for her.

"Well you better. Cause now, you're stuck with me Mr. Dixon." Beth brought her hands up to either side of his face and rubbed her thumbs over the scruff there. She smiled at him saucily.

"Is that so?" Daryl didn't mistake the gleam in her eye for anything other than desire.

She continued tracing the rough stubble on his face. "Don't ever get rid of this, 'k?" She gave him a wicked smile and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively referring to what he had been able to do to her with his mouth and as it turns out, his beard, earlier that morning.

He smirked at her. "Is that a favor or are you just askin?" He couldn't help the teasing. He always had a biting reply for nearly everything that someone said to him but with Beth, this easy sexy banter came just as natural as everything else with her.

"Mmm," Beth shook her head. "Nah, I'm savin those for somethin' else." She smiled up at him lazily and she had an involuntary shiver. It was getting colder and the melted snow was starting to freeze to the ends of her hair.

Daryl rubbed his hands over her arms. "Let's get inside before you get sick." He pulled away from her reluctantly and led her out of the enclosure, leaving the penguins to their fun.

"That's an old wives tale ya know." Beth said, her gloved hand encased in his as they trudged carefully in the snow back down the hill.

"Yeah, I know. I was tryin' to be chivalrous here." Daryl laughed at his own joke and Beth joined him.

"Oh yes, ever the chivalrous one," Beth laughed. "Trust me, I remember."

All the way back to their dorm room, they recounted all the moments that led up to now and laughed raucously when he brought up Beth nearly destroying the sofa bed in the Airstream. Beth had the good grace to blush and Daryl had enough sense not to bring up the dog bringing them together in the first place. It was something that Beth teased him endlessly about. The fact that it took a dog to get him to sleep with her that first night. If not for Lucky, they might still be keeping themselves at arm's length.

At the same time, Beth didn't think so really. This love between her and Daryl seemed inevitable; like they had been on a downhill race towards a head-on collision and neither one had seen what was coming. They had been blindsided by it and sometimes Beth still felt like she was reeling; in a good way.

By the time they had reached their dorm room and dried off, they never even made it to changing clothes. As soon as Daryl stripped down, Beth was overcome by desire so fierce she couldn't seem to stop herself from moving towards him, never taking her eyes off of his. She was reminded of the time in the Airstream just a few days ago when they had been interrupted and now seemed as good a time as any to recover that lost opportunity. Beth had surprised herself by initiating every touch and every kiss until they were making love well into the afternoon, basking in their love and fueled by passion.

* * *

In the end, they missed lunch and finally emerged late afternoon, feeling a little guilty for stealing the time that they had. All the way to the Watering Hole, Beth and Daryl kept glancing at each other.

Beth couldn't keep the smile off her face and when she kept remembering snippets of things they had done with one another over the past 24 hours, she couldn't help but blush.

Daryl kept sneaking glances at her, the corners of his lips just barely upturned.

"I think we're in a love bubble," Beth remarked as they neared the fences for the commons area.

"A love bubble? Is that some kind of damn romance novel term?" Daryl scoffed but the smile never left his eyes.

"No, smartass," Beth squeezed his hand a little. "It's just a term used for when people are in love and feel like nothing can touch them or ruin it for them."

Daryl looked at her thoughtfully and reluctantly dropped her hand so he could open the gate to the high fence enclosing the commons area.

"'Aight, I guess I'll buy that," Daryl turned and winked at her before pushing the gate open and letting her pass through.

Beth beamed at him. "You know, for a dude, you sure do talk about romance novels an awful lot. Do you read them in secret or somethin'?," Beth teased. She knew she was in uncharted waters but she felt so confident in their love she couldn't really help herself. Besides it was secretly thrilling getting a rise out of him. His gruffness had scared her at first, she admitted, but after awhile she had seen through his tough act to the caring soul underneath.

Daryl didn't even miss a beat. " A dude?" He chuckled a bit. "I'm a dude?"

She playfully swatted at him. "You know what I meant," she said.

"So what if I do read 'em?" He said as he closed the gate back, making sure to secure it.

Beth's mouth opened in surprise and she stuttered.

"Beth Greene, speechless?," Daryl said, his tone teasing. "Somebody call Guiness." He joked.

Beth let the subject drop, laughing with him and reaching down to link their hands together again.

They turned the corner to the path down to the Watering Hole and nearly collided with someone. "Oh sorry," came the deep baritone voice.

They both looked up to see Tyreese staring at them with much the same shock that they were looking at him.

Tyreese moved first. "Beth, Daryl?!" He managed to envelope both of them in a nearly bone-crushing hug. 

Beth and Daryl's hands were trapped between them. Daryl moved to clap his arm a little awkwardly around Tyreese and looked over his shoulder to Beth who was doing the same.

They pulled apart, all of them smiling. "Is Sasha with you?" Beth looked down the path but there was no one behind him. Maybe he had gotten out alone. It saddened her to think that he didn't have his sister. She knew exactly what that was like.

Tyreese shook his head sadly. "I don't know where she is," he admitted. He looked between the two of them and down at their joined hands. He smiled a little and shook his head to himself.

Beth flushed as she realized that Tyreese was looking at Daryl and Beth holding hands. Tyreese didn't say anything and Beth was a little tiny bit grateful. It was obvious he knew but he was too much a gentleman to say anything.

Beth looked to Daryl. He was barely concealing a smile as he looked at her and she was bouncing on her toes. She looked so damned adorable he couldn't help what came out of his mouth next, "Aw hell, you may as well go ahead and tell him. Not like the whole zoo don't already know it." He kicked at the snow on the path.

Tyreese's eyes went wide. "Really? You're the couple everyone is talking about today?" He smiled at them both and then looked at Daryl pointedly. "Heard it was quite the romantic gesture," He reached out and clapped Daryl on the back. "Congrats to you both."

Daryl eyed him for a minute. "You mean everyone knows already? Place is worse than it was at the prison." He said in wonder, shaking his head.

Tyreese let out a good long belly laugh and it was infectious. Beth laughed too and even Daryl laughed more than he usually did. Even though he was laughing, there was a sadness that lingered in his eyes. A sadness that hadn't been there before. Something had happened. Beth just knew it.

Tyreese got serious then. "I got out with Mika, Lizzie and Judith. Met up with Carol later." Tyreese had a pained expression.

In that moment, Beth was pretty sure she ceased to breathe. Tyreese had the saddest look on his face and she didn't think she could bear to hear what he was about to say. His grief was palpable in the air between them. She leaned heavily on Daryl then, bracing herself for what he was about to say.

"Judith?" She dared to ask and brought her hands up to her mouth to stifle the sob that threatened to escape. She felt Daryl's arm tighten around her shoulders.

"She's fine." Tyreese seemed to get then how Beth had misinterpreted his expression. "Oh god, I'm sorry. I should have said that first. Judith is fine. So's Carol and Mika." He let that sink in before he plowed on with the conversation.

Beth felt like she could finally permit herself to breath and took a steadying breath. "Lizzie?" Beth felt so much better knowing that Judith was alive and the urge to go find her was nearly impossible to ignore but something in Tyreese's gaze off to the right as he fought some inner battle rooted her to where she stood.

Tyreese shook his head sadly and tears threatened to overcome him. Beth could see him taking in ragged breath after ragged breath and it broke her heart. She reached out to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "What happened?" Beth spoke softly and looked to Daryl who seemed a little shell-shocked.

"Carol came up on Lizzie trying to kill Judith," Tyreese looked up at them with an absolute look of horror on his face. "She was holding a knife and said she wanted Judith to become one of them. Her friends she called them. She was sick." Tyreese shook his head miserably. Beth and Daryl both remained silent, as if understanding that there was more and it was even worse than what he had already told them.

"Carol took Lizzie for a walk far away from the place we had found. We had just been talkin' about staying there for good. It was a nice place, not too many walkers, off the beaten path." His eyes got a faraway look then and you could tell it was a struggle for him to concentrate on what he needed to say.

"Carol had to shoot her." he choked out. Tyreese broke down then; sobs wracking his large frame. Beth felt the tears stinging her eyes. She had known Lizzie, had known something wasn't quite right with her, but discounted it as displaced grief over losing both parents at such a young age. Beth moved forward and hugged the great hulk of a man, wrapping her arms around his middle. Daryl stood back, watching her comfort Tyreese like she once comforted him; like he knew she would comfort him in the future if he needed it. Tyreese looked worriedly over Beth's shoulder to Daryl, his eyes asking if this was okay, if she was really as good as she seemed; Beth had that effect on people, thought Daryl. He just nodded at Tyreese and he seemed to then give himself over to the hug, accepting the comfort that Beth was offering, just with a few simple words and a hug.

Tyreese pulled away and wiped his sleeve over his face, looking embarrassed by his sudden display of emotion. "I'm sorry. It's just been so hard not being able to talk about any of it. And trying to be strong for Mika. Carol's had a hard time of it."

Daryl eyed Tyreese carefully, wondering if he knew what Daryl knew. He was guessing he probably didn't. His posture was too relaxed when he spoke of Carol. He figured if he knew what Carol had done he wouldn't have wanted to travel with her. Daryl wasn't sure what he was going to say to Carol himself. He had plenty of time to think about it, but now that he was faced with it, he was dreading having the conversation. He glanced to Beth. He knew she didn't know anything about what happened with Carol and David and Karen. He would have to tell her later and get her back in the loop, that is if he could tear her away from 'lil Ass Kicker long enough.

"I bet so. So where are they?" Beth could barely disguise her eagerness to go see everyone else.

"I left them back at the Watering Hole. We just arrived. This seems like a great place. We heard stories out on the road, different places being bad. We came upon this guy Austin and he was running a group up here. We got here about a week and a half ago. Did you just get here today?" Tyreese asked them, clearly puzzled that they had not seen each other yet.

Beth looked at Daryl and blushed. "Yesterday. We were late to dinner last night." Beth offered.

Tyreese looked back and forth between the two of them, Beth looking like she'd rather the ground swallow her up and Dixon looking straight at him, almost challenging him to say something. Tyreese chuckled. "I get it, say no more. Well we're here now. I was going up to the dorm to grab an extra blanket for Judith. It's getting colder out I think. Tell Carol I'm on my way back." And he walked away towards the dorms.

Beth and Daryl looked at each other and laughed as they headed back down the trail towards the Watering Hole. They finally reached the edge of the eating area and Beth spotted Carol then. She was sitting with Mika and holding Judith, who was bundled in a little pink coat. Carol was talking with Rin and Austin.

Beth involuntarily gasped as she got closer. Carol had sat Judith down on the pavement around the tables and Judith was holding onto the benches and taking very sure and steady steps. Beth hadn't even recovered from crying over Lizzie and Tyreese's sorrow and here she was crying again, except this time the tears were happy ones. Carol looked up and saw her then. A look passed between the two women; Beth couldn't put a finger on it, maybe a mixture of relief and sadness. Carol got up then and scooped Judith up in her arms and crossed the rest of the way to Beth.

Beth's shoulders shook with her sobs and Daryl walked up behind her and just placed his hand on the small of her back. "Every single day," Beth's voice broke then. "I prayed every single day." She reached out for Judith then and Carol held the little girl out.

Beth wasted no time in pulling Judith into her arms and buried her face in the side of Judith's neck. She had gotten so big. The weight of her tiny body had redistributed. She had a lot less of her baby fat and her facial features were more pronounced now. She looked so much like Lori it made Beth cry all the more. It was hard to believe such a tiny person could change so much in a few months time. "Hey baby girl," Beth crooned as Judith took in the scene with watchful eyes. She had always been such a good baby, as if she knew the world she lived in was different.

Beth looked over Judith's head to Carol. "When did she start cruising?" Beth asked using the term for infants learning how to walk by holding onto furniture.

"Oh she's walking now, aren't you Judy." Carol said affectionately and ran her hand over the little girl's head.

Beth looked up in surprise. Carol just nodded at her and smiled.

"Set her down, you'll see," Carol said knowingly.

Beth set Judith down, holding onto her at the waist to make sure she had her balance. "Okay, baby girl, show us what you got," Beth whispered as she let go.

The little girl took a few unsteady steps, wobbling back and forth, before regaining her balance and toddled over to where Carol was standing. Beth realized that she had been holding her breath the entire time Judith was showing off her new skill. As she reached Carol, Beth clapped happily for her. When Judith heard Beth's clapping, she plopped down in the snow and started clapping for herself.

This earned her a round of applause from everyone who was watching. Beth rushed over to scoop her up and hugged her close. "That's my girl, you're so smart," Beth turned to Daryl then. "Did you see her Daryl?" She turned to look at Daryl and he was smiling widely and just nodded at her. Judith twisted out of Beth's arms towards Carol, whimpering slightly.

Beth knew she shouldn't be surprised. She was more used to Carol now. She released Judy back to Carol and tried not to think too hard on how empty her arms suddenly felt.

Tyreese came walking up to them with Maggie and Glenn in tow. Beth turned to Maggie. "Look Mags!" Beth exclaimed gesturing to the addition of their group.

Maggie looked at her nonplussed. "We saw them at lunch," Beth looked at Maggie and it was evident that she was nearly biting a hole in her tongue to keep from making a snide comment about Beth and Daryl's absence that afternoon.

Isaac approached the group then. "Daryl and Glenn, we are a group together for fence patrol tonight if you are interested. Glenn, I've heard you have pretty good navigation skills," Isaac regarded them carefully. "Daryl, I've heard you're quite the hunter and protector. I normally bring Aslan on patrols, he helps with dispatching the infected ones. I trust you'll do your best to avoid hitting him with one of your arrows?" Isaac looked at Daryl.

Daryl chuckled low when he saw the amused expression in the strange man's gaze. "Yeah, we'll be fine, as long as you can guarantee he won't want to make a meal out of me. I think I've had enough of things trying to eat me to last a lifetime" Isaac nodded then and wandered off. Daryl wasn't sure if he'd ever get used to the guy's weirdness.

Tyreese looked at Carol, now holding baby Judith who was rubbing at her eyes sleepily. "Beth and Daryl tell you their news?"

Carol looked at Tyreese wearily. "No, tell me what?" she said as she turned back to Beth expectantly.

Beth shook her head to clear out the cobwebs. She was still kind of reeling from Judith not wanting to be held by her. She knew she was only a little girl and she hadn't seen Beth in several months, but Beth had spent the first several months caring for Judith almost entirely by herself. She turned her attention to the conversation at hand. "Huh?" was all she managed though.

Tyreese looked to Carol. "You remember that couple we heard about that the guy had proposed with a pebble?" Tyreese was looking pretty pleased with himself, being able to divulge such a secret, which oddly enough wasn't much of a secret anymore.

Carol nodded, her gaze not really taking in everything going on around her. Beth watched her carefully. She knew that she might have had a crush on Daryl for awhile, just something that Beth noticed in passing, but she also knew that nothing had ever come from it.

"It's these two," Tyreese pointed his finger in Daryl and Beth's direction, smiling as he did so.

Carol's eyes narrowed slightly and that's when she noticed the slight change in their demeanor around each other and now that she was paying attention it was hard to miss the way he kept looking at her. And now that she was looking, Beth had always been pretty transparent about her feelings and every time she looked to him, the love came shining through. Carol hadn't expected to pick anything up with Daryl. Their relationship hadn't really ever been about that. They had been good friends and that's about it. To be perfectly honest, Carol wasn't sure she could ever feel that way about anyone again. Too much had happened and most days she was really just putting one foot in front of the other. It was hard to imagine being happy with someone else when she was so unhappy with herself. But there was one thing she could do and one thing she felt. She was truly happy for these two.

She stepped forward, shifting Judith to her other hip as she pressed a kiss to Daryl's cheek and then Beth's and then stood in front of them. "I am really happy for you guys." And she truly meant it. Daryl was such a damaged soul and Carol couldn't honestly think of a single person more suited than Beth to balance out the darkness that sometimes permeated the aura all around Daryl. She looked to Daryl now and winked at him and he smiled at her, just the corners of his lips upturned. She knew without him saying anything at all that he was really happy with Beth and her heart felt a little swell of hope for the first time in weeks. Losing Lizzie had been almost more than Carol could bear. It had been like losing Sophia all over again except this time, Carol truly knew that it was all her fault that Lizzie was dead. After all, she had pulled the goddamn trigger.

"Well, it's time for Judith to take a nap," Carol turned away to gather her bag and the laundry she had come to wash. She adjusted Judith on her side and looked to Tyreese who got the laundry bag.

"Can I stay with Beth?" Mika looked to Tyreese and Carol.

Tyreese looked to Beth who nodded her assent. He nodded at Mika and she smiled at him brightly. "We'll see you guys at dinner. Mika you listen to Beth and Daryl, you hear?" He told her as he bent down and kissed her on the top of the head.

Mika just giggled and ducked her head. "I will, Ty." Beth noticed how she shortened his name and she figured Mika might be the only one to get away with it. Beth smiled at Tyreese. Who would have thought that the man would have such a soft heart for two little girls that were not even his own.

"Well it looks like I'm going to be sleeping alone tonight." Maggie lamented.

"Me too," Beth sighed.

Daryl and Glenn both rolled their eyes. "I'm sure you'll survive the both of you." Daryl said and Glenn hummed his agreement.

"I'll keep you guys company" Mika piped up, her little face hopeful as she looked back and forth between Maggie and Beth.

Beth looked at Mika and her heart just melted. "Oh sweetheart that's a wonderful idea. Have you ever had a slumber party?" Beth knelt down to ask her.

Mika nodded solemnly. "Me and Lizzie went one time, but I cried and Momma came and got us. Can we have one tonight?" Her big brown eyes were hopeful.

"I think that's an excellent idea!," Beth exclaimed. "Mags?" Beth looked up at Maggie who was grinning at Beth.

"It'll be just like old times," Maggie smiled at Beth and Mika.

"Well that's it then, slumber party tonight in Beth and Daryl's room." Beth looked to Maggie as if she would challenge it. Maggie just laughed. "What? I'm sure your room is a mess already." Beth looked at Maggie pointedly and Maggie had the good grace to bow out of that fight.

"Fine, but I'm bringing the booze- er I mean marshmallows and popcorn." Maggie said and winked conspiratorially at Beth who just shook her head and laughed. It felt good to be planning something as normal as a slumber party for a seven year old. Despite the fact that Daryl was going to be gone all night and Judith hadn't warmed to her just yet, Beth resolved that it was going to be a good night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked this one! Yes, finally Carol and Tyreese and Judith and Mika! Thanks for reading as always and thank you for commenting and all the kudos. Ya'll are awesome.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sleepover.

Mika's squeals pierced the air in Beth's room and Beth thanked god for the third time that night that the dorms were in the heart of the zoo far away from any potential walkers that might hear them. Mika had wanted to have a pillow fight and it had turned into a tickle fight. Mika was extremely ticklish but then again so was Beth so they had been going back and forth for the last few minutes. Mika's giggling finally subsided and Beth paused to catch her breath.

Maggie laughed at the two of them. "Okay, sweetie, it's time for bed," Maggie told her.

"Oh please, just five more minutes?" Mika pleaded.

Beth laughed. "You have had five more minutes at least four times in the last hour. Maggie's right, honey, it's time for bed," Beth gently chided.

"But I'm not even tired, Beth," Mika yawned and Maggie and Beth both laughed.

Mika was impossibly adorable and already she had won a special place in Beth's heart. It helped ease a little of the ache she felt when she thought about Judy not wanting to be held by Beth. It stung a little more than Beth wanted it to and she tried to tell herself that Judy was just a baby and there was bound to be an adjustment period after not being around her for such a long time.

Beth sighed as Mika climbed up to the top of the bed, pulling the covers up over her, tucking them tightly around her. It had gotten much colder outside and the cold seemed to come through the windows of the dorm room. They had gotten the kerosene heater from the camper since the solar panels weren't large enough to sustain power to the furnaces in the dorms. The heater helped some but it was still quite chilly. She wished Daryl was there and tried not to think about his safety. He had been keeping himself safe and alive long before he met her and she had to trust that he could do it now too.

Mika drifted off to sleep easily, her eyelashes fluttered down onto her cheeks, fanning out and giving her an angelic appearance. Beth sighed. She was a bright star in this dark world and it thrilled her heart to spend time with her. Despite everything the little girl had seen, she had an unflappable faith and joy in life. She reminded Beth of herself at the same age. Her heart ached for Mika knowing that she was without her sister, father and mother and she felt like they were kindred spirits in that way. Mika had lost everyone in her family and she still kept going on; and with a smile on her face. The rest of them could take a lesson from sweet Mika.

Maggie looked over Mika at Beth on the other side of the bed. "So," Maggie whispered and wiggled her eyebrows.

Beth groaned. She knew that this had been coming. "Yes?" Beth feigned ignorance.

"Oh come on Bethie, are you really going to make me ask?" Maggie was grinning from ear to ear. "It's not like you can deny it. Glenn and I heard you," Maggie whispered and she couldn't stop the grin from spreading even further.

Beth rolled her eyes at her sister. "Mags, you're impossible. Just what did you hear anyway," Beth's face was flushed thinking about all the possible things that Maggie could have heard. She hadn't given much thought to it at the time but she supposed she and Daryl hadn't been all that quiet but it wasn't like she could have helped herself. Everything was so new and exciting and god, it had felt so good. She sighed.

"I seem to remember us hearing Daryl's name being screamed," Maggie said very much tongue-in-cheek.

Beth groaned and covered her face with her hands. "Oh," Was Beth's only reply. "I think I might die now. Glenn heard it? How am I ever going to look him in the face again," Beth lamented.

Maggie just laughed. "So? How was it? Was that morning the first time for you guys?" The questions came pouring out of Maggie and Beth laughed. Yes, her sister was nosy but she could not deny that it felt good to talk about something other than walkers and their next meal.

Beth blushed and she brought her hand up to her chest in an attempt to quiet the fluttering she felt there every time she thought about Daryl and all the things they had done. The thing was, she wanted to do so much more.

"It was actually the night before," Beth smiled wistfully. "The next morning was something else entirely." Beth blushed at the memory of Daryl's mouth on her between her legs.

Maggie groaned in frustration. "Are you going to make me pull every single syllable from you?," Maggie protested at Beth's vagueness. "Details. I want details. How was it?" She repeated the question again, more persistent this time.

Beth laughed. She should have known that she couldn't generalize with her sister. She never had been able to. "It hurt at first," Beth winced remembering. "But then, it was…" Beth trailed off, remembering how it had felt. And she really had no words for it. "Delicious?" Beth bit her bottom lip and looked at Maggie a little uncertainly.

Maggie squealed at Beth's revelation and Beth smacked her on the arm lightly, "Maggie hush, you'll wake Mika."

Maggie stifled her laughter, looking to Mika who appeared to be unaffected by her outburst. "Delicious? God, Beth, you're so funny," Maggie's giggles finally subsided. "Did you use protection?" Maggie asked, her tone serious.

Beth rolled her eyes again. "Of course, but I thought you would know that. Daryl got condoms from Glenn," Beth stated.

Maggie's jaw dropped open in surprise. "That little rat, he didn't even tell me," Maggie mused.

Beth shrugged her shoulders. "I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall during that conversation," Beth giggled thinking about what it had taken for Daryl to go to Glenn in the first place.

Maggie laughed, "Oh definitely me too. Wait til I talk to Glenn. He is terrible at keeping secrets," Maggie shook her head.

"He probably was heavily threatened," Beth mused and they both started giggling imagining the whole scenario.

Beth sighed. "I miss him," she said as she laid back against the pillow and propped her head up on her elbow, looking at Maggie.

Maggie turned so she faced Beth. "I know, I miss Glenn too. I hope they are okay."

Beth yawned. "We better get some sleep. They'll be back before we know it,"

Maggie echoed Beth's yawn with one of her own. "Night, Bethie," Maggie murmured.

"Night Mags. Love you."

"Love you too," Maggie whispered. They were both asleep in minutes.

* * *

Daryl followed along behind Isaac and Aslan and Glenn bringing up the rear of their team. They were sweeping the perimeter of the south border of the zoo. They had been checking the fence line for the past hour, inspecting for breaches and shoring up any weak spots. Daryl brought his bow back up as he heard a sound off to the right. His eyes narrowed looking off into the dark at the tree line. A pair of bright yellow eyes stared back at him. An opossum, it looked like, thought Daryl. He lowered his bow as they rounded the next outcropping of trees.

Aslan growled low and deep and Daryl felt the hairs raise on the back of his neck. Aslan was reacting to the opossum off in the brush. Try as he might, the stupid thing scared him although he would never admit it to anyone else. Call him old fashioned but lions weren't meant to be pets. But Isaac treated the animal more like a pet than anything else. Speaking of pets, Daryl looked down to see Lucky trotting along beside him. He had joined their party earlier in the evening. He looked cleaner and healthier, his coat almost shiny now that he had a bath. Isaac said he had given him a rabies vaccine as well. He almost looked like a normal dog except for his eye. Daryl wasn't sure but it almost looked like Lucky walked with a little bounce in his step now after being so well cared for.

Lucky stopped as Aslan growled and let out his own growl. It was almost as if the two animals were in tune to one another. Maybe it was one of those survival things. In a world gone to shit, Daryl supposed sometimes you paired up with the most unlikely allies in order to survive. It made him think about him and Beth. If they were still at the prison, he wasn't sure they would have ever gotten together. He was pretty sure they wouldn't have or at least it would have taken a lot longer. Getting out with Beth had been the best thing that had ever happened to him. He smiled to himself. He knew they were having a slumber party back at their room, but he couldn't wait to get back just so he could kiss her. It was the simple things, Daryl decided, that made life worth living. And kissing Beth was just one of those things.

Isaac walked further ahead and Glenn fell back to walk beside Daryl. Daryl reached over to check the fence, shaking it to be certain there were no loose chinks in the metal. He would never admit it out loud but it wasn't altogether unpleasant spending time with Glenn like this. He had missed having someone to talk to and hang out with besides Beth. Don't get him wrong, Beth was more than fun to hang with but it was different. Sometimes a guy just needed to be…well, a guy, thought Daryl. And he could do that with Glenn.

"So, um, things good with you and Beth then?" Glenn asked tentatively.

"Yeah," Daryl grunted, checking the next section of fence and Glenn checking the one just ahead of it.

Glenn looked to Daryl. "Congrats, by the way. I don't think I got to say that." Glenn's smile was sincere.

"Thanks," Daryl muttered. He wasn't sure where this conversation was going, but it was making him nervous. Talking about feelings with Beth was one thing. Talking about them with Glenn? Out of the fucking question.

"So I was thinking that we'll be like brothers now, ya know?" Glenn said, sneaking a glance at Daryl.

Daryl stopped checking the fence line and turned to Glenn. "Yeah, I guess so. What's your point?" Daryl wasn't trying to be an asshole but it was the middle of the night and all he wanted to do was finish the perimeter sweep so he could get back to Beth. He didn't mind the work at all. In fact, it was kind of nice to have something to do. To serve a purpose again, something besides just surviving.

"I was just thinking that maybe we could hang out sometime. Maybe we could find some beer or something," Glenn looked at Daryl hopefully.

Daryl looked at him thoughtfully. "Thought that was what we was doin' now," Daryl said. "Hangin' out."

Glenn smiled wide then. "Cool." Was all he said. But he smiled to himself then thinking that there was more to Daryl Dixon than most people thought.

And then they went back to working alongside each other, checking fence lines and securing the perimeter, both lost in their own thoughts. Their thoughts had one thing in common: the Greene girls.

* * *

Beth was awakened some time later by the sound of a baby crying. She sat up and rubbed at her eyes groggily, unsure if she had been dreaming. She heard the cries again and sat up straighter. It sounded suspiciously like Judith. She usually wasn't a baby to cry much, but then again she hadn't been around her in a while. She slipped from the bed, being careful not to wake Maggie or Mika.

She put on her shoes and crept soundlessly to the door. Opening the door of their dorm, she headed towards the sound of the cries.

She paused outside of the door of the room Carol and Judith slept in. She wasn't sure where Tyreese was but it was clearly not with Carol and Judith. She wondered about their dynamic briefly. They had gotten out together she supposed but she didn't see anything happening with the two of them. Her hand paused to knock when Judith's cries got more desperate. She moved her hand to the knob feeling a little funny about opening the door to a room uninvited.

Beth eased the door open and surveyed the situation quickly before entering. Carol was lying in the bed facing the wall opposite the pack and play where Judith was standing up and clutching the siderails, tears streaming down her chubby little cheeks.

Beth walked over to the little girl and her heart nearly broke at seeing her so upset. She reached down and hoisted her up into her arms, crooning to her softly as she walked around to the side of the bed where Carol was facing. She glanced down at her, her face soft and impassive in sleep, all traces of the day to day pain she carried with her momentarily absent. She shook Carol's shoulder gently in an attempt to wake her. It took a minute but Carol finally opened her eyes, looking bewildered at first. Carol looked up at Beth tiredly, the weight of the world back in her eyes again.

"She was crying. I hope you don't mind me comin' in but I heard her from down in my room," Beth explained whispering as she rocked Judith in her arms. The little girl, relieved at someone finally hearing her cries, had settled her head against Beth's shoulder and had her tiny fingers gripping Beth's shirt at the neckline in the back.

"Well why don't you just take her with you then if you think I'm not doing a good enough job of taking care of her." Carol bit out.

To Beth, Carol's words felt like a physical blow and she took an involuntary step back. "I only meant that I didn't want her crying to wake anyone else," Beth said uncertainly. She had never heard Carol take that kind of tone with anyone before, especially her.

"I don't care what you meant," Carol said, turning away from Beth and facing the opposite wall. "Just take her and go. Leave me alone," Carol murmured, her voice dropping to a pained whisper.

Beth reached out to touch her shoulder, an attempt to soothe her or make herself feel better about the sudden change in tone in their relationship, she wasn't sure. But Carol just ignored her.

Beth sighed and moved to retrieve Judith's diaper bag from the desk in the corner. The room was nearly identical to hers and Daryl's. She glanced at Carol again who was staring at the wall, her face devoid of any emotion.

"Are you okay?," Beth asked gently. Despite the fact that Carol had just practically jumped down her throat, Beth was genuinely concerned about her. She thought back to their conversation with Tyreese and him saying that Carol had a rough time and it had been hard lately. She wondered if this had happened before and vowed to talk to Tyreese the next morning.

Carol didn't say a word, just stared at the wall ahead of her.

Judith reached out to Carol, her tiny hands clenching open and closed. Carol didn't even break her stare to spare a glance at Judith and Beth's heart broke for the little girl who whimpered and laid her head back on Beth's shoulder, her sobs turning to hiccups.

Beth sighed. "Well we'll just go now. See you at breakfast?" Beth asked expecting Carol to at least nod or acknowledge the question in some way. But Beth was just met with the same glassy stare. Beth wondered briefly if that was how she had looked long ago back at the farm when she had tried to kill herself. She had been trapped inside herself then, unable to tell anyone how hopeless she really felt. She felt a pang of fear for Carol then. If anyone had a reason to feel like there was nothing left to hope for, it was probably Carol. She had lost so much, her own daughter and one she had taken to raise as her own.

She hadn't known Carol's husband but Beth gathered that he hadn't been a good man. Beth sighed and turned from Carol to walk out of the room, closing the door softly behind her. She hoisted Judith higher up on her hip and walked back to her own dorm room. She slipped in silently, save for Judy's hiccups and sat down on the edge of the bed, rocking the little girl in her arms.

Upon seeing Mika, Judith lifted her head from Beth's shoulder and started babbling. "Mi-mi, mi-mi," and Beth chuckled softly at the little girl. It must be what she called Mika and it kind of fit, she thought. She checked Judith's diaper and found that was probably the most likely source of the little girl's dismay. She made quick work of changing her and settled her in the bed beside her. There was very little wiggle room in the bed now with Maggie sprawled out like she normally did in her sleep. She didn't know how in the world Glenn put up with it. Maggie was the worst cover hog too and she definitely was living up to that role now. Beth pulled the blankets back over to her side of the bed and looked down at Judith who was looking up at her curiously.

"Remember me, baby girl?" Beth crooned, reaching down to smooth her hand over the little girl's soft downy hair. It was baby fine and wisped about her face in the most endearing way. She had the bluest eyes of any kid she had ever seen; she had gotten her eyes from Rick. If you looked at her eyes and nothing else, she was the spitting image of her Daddy. From there on, she looked exactly like Lori. She knew there had been a lot of speculation around the prison on whether Judy was actually Rick's or Shane's, but Beth knew in looking at Judith right now that Rick never have needed to worry about it. Judith was his through and through. She only hoped that someday they would find Rick and Carl again. She looked down at the little girl whose eyes were finally starting to flutter closed. She looked up at Beth one last time and gave her a slightly watery smile and Beth's heart melted. It wasn't much but it was a start.

Beth thought of all the things that the little girl had witnessed in her life. Although she would not remember them, she had come into the world just as her mother had left it. She had lost her brother and father in the fall of the prison. Who knew what she had seen out on the road. Beth thought for a moment and realized that in a way, Beth had deserted Judith too. She had felt the guilt needling her ever since they had left the prison. Now it even appeared that Carol was going to desert her too, the way she had passed her off so easily tonight. Beth's heart felt like it might splinter at the weight of her realization. Beth pulled the little girl a little closer as she tried to quiet her mind to sleep. As she finally drifted off a good hour later, she knew that she would never let this little girl feel a moment of pain again. She would know she was loved and important if it was the last thing in this world that Beth Greene ever did.

* * *

Daryl trudged down the hall to his dorm room, wondering where in the hell he was going to sleep with so many people in his room. He could probably sleep on the floor, he was so whipped at the moment, he thought. He eased the door open quietly and glanced to the bed and counted three, no four, sleeping forms. He puzzled for a moment until he saw the downy head poking out and a chubby little hand clutching Beth's sleeve. They both looked so beautiful he couldn't resist depositing his bow by the door and crossing the room to look down at them.

Beth had her arm curled protectively around Judith and although Daryl wondered how Lil Ass Kicker ended up in their bed, he was glad of it. Beth looked peaceful with the little girl back in her arms again. He knew she had worried endlessly about her while they were all separated.

Beth stirred a bit and turned on her back, being careful not to disturb Judith. She looked up to find Daryl watching her. She started a bit. "You scared me, baby." She smiled up at him sleepily.

Daryl chuckled. "Sorry, didn't mean to wake you." He cast her a puzzled glance at Judith sleeping beside her.

"Long story," Beth murmured. "We're going to have to talk to Tyreese in the morning," Beth whispered.

"It almost is morning," Daryl muttered a little grumpy.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot, how'd it go?" Beth asked.

"Went fine, just swept the perimeter, went outside the gates to take down a few walkers, nothing too excitin'," Daryl knelt by the bed.

"Did you miss me?," Beth whispered, feeling her heart flutter in her chest at his close proximity.

"'Course, I did." Daryl murmured as he leaned over and pressed his lips to hers softly. He let his lips linger on hers for a bit before pulling back, bringing his hand up to the side of her face, his thumb stroking her cheek.

"I missed you too." Beth snaked one arm out from under the covers and pulled him to her for another kiss, feeling emboldened by her love for him. She finally broke the kiss and Daryl leaned his forehead against hers.

He pulled away and kissed her on the forehead and then reached down and impulsively rubbed one hand gently over Lil Ass Kicker's head and kissed her forehead as well. Feeling a sudden swell in his chest, he reached over and rubbed one hand over Mika's head as well.

Beth didn't miss the look in his eyes as he stood back up. He looked genuinely happy.

"Better catch a few winks before the sun comes up," Daryl said as he finally stood back up and walked over to the oversized chair. It wasn't a bed but it would definitely do, he thought as he collapsed onto it.

"Night, Daryl." Beth whispered.

"Night, Princess," Daryl yawned and closed his eyes.

"Daryl?" Beth's voice cut through the silence after a few minutes.

"Yeah," He murmured, barely able to keep his eyes open any longer.

"Are you happy?," Beth asked him, the question a weight in the room between them. She didn't think they had ever talked about happiness before and what it meant to them.

"Well, yeah, I am. Why?" He asked, his eyes opening again and looking over at her.

"Nothin'," she sighed. "I'm just really happy. I love you." She murmured.

Daryl thought about his admission. Truth of it was, he was happy. For the first time in his entire life, he felt like there might be something worth living for. This feeling he had, this swell over the place in his chest where his heart resided, this completeness he felt was something foreign to him. But he was hanging onto it nonetheless. Now that he had found a light in this dark, dark world, he was never going to let it go. He was never going to let any of them go. This was his family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this story has gotten such an amazing response and I am grateful for every kudos and comment so thank u. Hope you enjoy this update.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beth and Daryl get the girls settled and they all try to figure out how to help Carol.

Daryl watched as Beth bounced Judith on her hip out in the courtyard. They had come for breakfast and the sun was shining down warm, melting all the snow from the day before. Daryl guessed the weather in North Carolina was just as unpredictable as in Georgia. Snowing one day and all of it gone by the end of the next day. Beth's easy way with Lil Ass Kicker was something to see, the way she had stepped back into caring for the little girl just as if no time had passed at all since she had last seen her. For all Judy's misgivings the day before, she seemed to be adjusting just fine today. She was holding onto Beth at every turn and was refusing to get down and try her walking again. Daryl glanced back and forth between Glenn, Maggie, Beth and Tyreese. They had all met this morning to discuss Carol. Tyreese was rubbing his beard thoughtfully.

"Thing is, I know this is going to come as a shock because it did to me, but it was Carol who killed Karen and David back at the prison. She told me about it the night she had to….well it was the night after we had buried Lizzie." He paused and glanced to them.

Daryl looked to Tyreese unsure of how to proceed. He had, of course, known about it from Rick but then everything with the Governor had happened and he hadn't given it much thought since then until now. "Rick told me. Then the Governor and his assholes showed up and well-," Daryl didn't really think he needed to finish the thought.

Tyreese nodded to Daryl and noted that the rest of them stayed silent. "How was she this morning Beth?" Tyreese looked up where Beth was walking back and forth with Judith in the courtyard to distract her from the snow still piled on the table. The little girl was fascinated with it but could not understand why her hand kept getting cold when she touched it for too long. She kept squealing with glee when she got to touch the snow and then would end up whimpering when her tiny fingers got cold. They had been chuckling about it for the past twenty minutes.

"Honestly, it was kind of scary," Beth admitted with a frown. "It's like she's just checked out." Beth sighed.

Daryl nodded at Beth, knowing that this was all really bothering her. She had told him how Carol had snapped at her the night before and at first he was upset. After all, he still hadn't gotten to talk to her about Karen and David yet. It wasn't like he was real anxious to have that conversation but when she came at Beth like that, it just fueled his frustration with her and the person he knew she was deep down. But after he thought about all that she had lost, some of what was happening now made sense. His Ma used to do the same thing except her reasons weren't near as good as Carol's.

"Can you blame her for checking out?" Daryl looked from Beth to the others, letting them mull it over. "She lost her little girl, then for whatever reason she felt she had to take down Karen and David, then she lost the prison just like the rest of us did. If that wasn't enough, she had to kill Lizzie. I don't know about y'all but that'd be enough to do me in." Daryl let out a breath and moved his thumb up to his mouth to chew on the nail which lately had been worn down to almost nothing.

Beth looked over to the edge of the courtyard where Mika was following Rin and Austin around while they cleaned up after breakfast. She was helping them clear the trash out and seemed to be in good spirits after their sleepover last night.

"Daryl's right," Beth whispered. "Mika said this morning after I checked on Carol that she had been crying at night lately. It's too much for her." Beth sighed. "I wish I knew what I could do to help her. I took her breakfast but she didn't even lift her head from the pillow to look at me." Beth rubbed at the scar on her wrist absently and thought briefly to that dark time in her life. Oddly, she couldn't really remember the moment she had cut herself, only the moments after when she wished she hadn't done it and was desperately trying to stop the bleeding. She looked to Maggie who smiled softly at her. The look they exchanged was one between sisters who had overcome that moment a long time ago.

"You know, a wise woman once told me that if a person wants to kill themselves, they are going to do it no matter what you try to do to stop them. They have to want to live." Maggie smiled in Beth's direction and Beth nearly wept with the memory of Andrea, their friend, who had died the last year when the Governor had locked her in a room with a man who was getting ready to turn. Andrea had fought him off for as long as she could and had managed to kill him but not before he got in a nasty bite to her neck. Andrea was the one that Maggie spoke of now. She had been right in her advice to Maggie but at the time, Beth knew Maggie wanted to kill Andrea with her bare hands.

Beth nodded to Maggie, "Then we just have to make sure that she knows that she has something to live for," Beth insisted and they all nodded.

"I'll take her lunch," Maggie offered.

"I'll take Judy and Mika to her room after lunch and see if we can draw her out a bit," Beth looked to Tyreese who studied them thoughtfully.

Tyreese spoke, his voice a little shaky, "I know she did what she did for a reason. A reason she thought was good at the time. But it's just been me and Carol with these kids for a long time now. Before I came upon her, it was just me and the girls. That was fuckin' terrifyin'," Tyreese actually looked terrified for a moment as a memory seemed to flit through his mind. "I never thought I'd see it come to this. Thought all's we had to worry about was walkers and other people. Never thought about something like a threatened suicide taking down one of our own," Tyreese breathed, drawing a shaky breath.

Beth reached over and clutched his shoulder briefly, understanding how he was feeling helpless at the moment, "We'll do everything in our power to keep it from getting to that point, Tyreese." Beth said and she really hoped that it was a promise she could keep.

They all broke up after that, Maggie heading to help with Aslan and the other lions and Tyreese, Glenn and Daryl going to make a plan for the next night's perimeter sweep. Daryl had the night off tonight save for the meeting after supper with the rest of the task force employed with shoring up their borders and fences, keeping out the dead and the living alike.

Daryl got up from the bench and stretched his legs. "See you later Princess," Daryl leaned over and whispered in Beth's ear and kissed the side of her neck.

Beth shivered a little at the contact of his lips on her neck, the sensation bringing back erotic memories of him doing the same thing the day before when they had virtually locked themselves in their room for most of the day. Lil Ass Kicker took the opportunity of Daryl's close proximity to reach out and grab at his hair and then the strap on his crossbow. Beth giggled, "Judy, we'll have to get you your own crossbow," she crooned to the little girl, helping Daryl untangle the little girl's fingers from the strap.

"She's got quite a grip on it," Daryl commented, his mouth upturned in one of his rare smiles.

Beth's heart fluttered a bit at the smile, thinking that he should do it more often as it made him look even more handsome than he usually did.

Beth laughed as she was finally able to pry Judy's fingers off the bow. "You should probably know baby girl, Daryl doesn't let anyone touch his crossbow," she murmured to the little girl as she kissed her downy head and looked to Daryl with knowing eyes.

He looked at her, his blue eyes gazing at her tenderly and his mouth still upturned in that rare smile, "I let you use it, Beth" he reminded her, his voice almost a whisper and Beth's heart caught a bit at the memories. Of course the first time had been perfectly awful when they had been arguing at the moonshine shack. But every time after that had been exhilarating. She still remembered flushing at his touch and her heart pounding out of her chest every time he came up behind her to steady her arm or show her how to take aim with it.

"I remember," Beth whispered and leaned in for a quick kiss, her lips meeting his softly.

Daryl broke the kiss first, groaning as he stepped away from her, "I wanted you so bad this morning, but our bed was overrun." He complained, his eyes cast down at the ground for a moment, toeing his boot in the melting snow.

"Daryl Dixon, are you actually pouting?" Beth grinned widely as he looked up and met her eyes and Beth felt she might melt under his gaze.

"Not poutin'. But can you blame a guy for wanting to show his girl how much he loves her?," He asked her, reaching for her only free hand, lacing his fingers through hers. This whole thing was so strange to him at times. He was better at showing than telling and right now he really wanted to be tracing each line and curve of her body while his lips followed along.

If Beth had thought she was melting before, she was done for now between the charming tone of his voice, his words and now when he met her eyes, she could see the undisguised desire there. "Well, not sure what we're gonna do yet, but it looks like Judy will be bunking with us. Maybe Mika too. They are trying to track us down another room for the time being." Beth explained. "Rin is working on it, should have something figured out by tomorrow." Beth looked to Daryl who nodded.

"You mean to tell me I'm going to have to wait to ravish you?" Daryl's eyes fairly sparked with his intentions and Beth blushed under his gaze and she giggled, earning the gaze of Rin and Austin and even Mika who were nearby.

"Shhh, Daryl, they'll hear," Beth laughed as he pulled on her hand and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"I don't care," He whispered into her neck, before finally pulling away. "I'll see you at supper, Princess." He bent to kiss Judy on the cheek and she giggled too. "I'll see you too, Lil Ass Kicker," Daryl murmured to the little girl. She smiled up at him, a bit of drool dribbling out of the corner of her mouth.

Beth laughed. "Let's go see about finding you some shoes, huh?," she said to Judith. "Tell Daryl bye sweetie," Beth waved to Daryl exaggeratedly showing the little girl how to do it, as he walked away. He turned just in time to see what happened next: Judith turning her hand around to face herself and opening and closing her hand slowly in a pretty good rendition of the gesture.

She looked up to Daryl then and he smiled at her as she beamed at Judith and pulled her closer to hug her and kiss her cheek, "Did you see that Daryl, she waved!" Beth exclaimed, feeling a swell of pride at the little girl's accomplishment.

Daryl laughed, "Great job, Lil Asskicker. We'll have her out greeting the new arrivals in no time." And with that he was off to find Glenn who had gotten tired of waiting around on him.

Beth laughed at his response and carried Judith to the gift shop hoping they had something at least a little bit suitable for a toddler to walk in. Judith's current shoes were too small for her and Beth hadn't the heart to try to stuff her chubby feet into them this morning. Right now she wouldn't let Beth put her down but knowing Judith's natural curious nature, that wasn't likely to last all that long.

Rin had said that the gift shops were virtually untouched and as Beth walked in and surveyed the shop, it reminded her of the times that she and Daryl had to scavenge stores for supplies. This store really was untouched but someone had come in and lovingly dusted off the shelves. She was reminded of the funeral home then and how neat and clean everything had been. She often wondered if the inhabitants of the house had ever come back.

Beth heard a familiar ruff then and as she turned she saw that Lucky had wandered into the store as if he knew exactly where he could find her. "Lucky! Where have you been boy?" Beth exclaimed, walking over and bending down to pet him. His fur was smooth and manageable and he actually smelled clean. He almost didn't look like the same dog. "Somebody gave you a bath, huh, boy," Beth murmured, rubbing his head vigorously.

"Da-da-da." Judith was bouncing up and down at Beth's side and Beth sat down on the floor of the store, laughing at the little girl who was very excited about Lucky as she crawled over to him.

To his credit, Lucky was very patient in letting Judith pat his fur, a little more enthusiastic than perhaps he was used to. Beth sat down Judith tentatively and watched carefully, making sure that she didn't tug too hard on Lucky's fur. Judith stopped petting Lucky for a moment and just leaned over on him, laying her head against his neck and wrapping her tiny little arm around him.

Beth could swear she saw the dog sigh and lean closer to Judith. It was quite a sight to see and it warmed Beth's heart to no end, such a normal domestic scene, a little girl, a dog, and the first person that little girl ever had known to be her mother.

* * *

Beth closed the door to Carol's room and held Mika's hand as she led her and Judith from the room. She guessed she'd be coming back and getting Judith's pack and play and the rest of her and Mika's things. Carol was in no mood for company now than she had been that morning. If anything she was worse. Beth shuddered when she thought what Carol had said to her, "If I'm not here, then those girls can probably live." She had whispered the words and Beth had sat down on the bed, glad for a moment that Mika and Judy were distracted by Lucky at the moment. He had taken to the two girls famously and it was obvious they adored him and Lucky didn't seem like he minded the attention one bit.

When Beth had sat down on the bed and reached for Carol's hand, Carol had turned around quickly from her stance staring at the wall. "Don't touch me," she warned and Beth withdrew her hand almost as if she had been burned. She strengthened her resolve and laid her hand back in her lap. She had to somehow make Carol see that there were so many people that cared about her. It's why she had brought the girls to her, hoping to draw her out.

Finally, after Carol had not been willing to say anything further and had resumed her near catatonic stare at the wall. Beth had finally sighed, "Carol if you want to talk, we're all here for you. But you have to know that these girls need you," Beth whispered. "You are all Mika has known since her dad died," Beth continued and waited for some kind of response from Carol but she was met with the same silence as yesterday when she had snapped at her then.

Beth had finally gathered the girls and Lucky and headed for the door, sparing one last glance back to Carol who hadn't budged one millimeter. "I'll be back later with dinner," Beth had promised.

Now as she reached her and Daryl's room and looked about the room, deciding where to put the pack and play, she sighed. There was never going to be enough room for her, Daryl and the two girls in this tiny dorm room. She hoped they were able to find something else and soon.

They were all re-convened that evening after supper, just before the guy's meeting. "So did you get anywhere with Carol today?" Tyreese directed the question at Judith who was happily playing with Mika and Lucky in the small room they had met in off the courtyard. It looked like it had once been someone's office but now housed a small conference table and six chairs. It had gotten a little chilly out for Mika and Judith to be meeting at the courtyard tables.

Beth shook her head and so did Maggie.

"I tried to get her to open up at lunch but she wouldn't even look at me." Maggie said, the sadness evident in her voice.

Tyreese nodded. "Yeah, she wouldn't talk to me either," he murmured.

"I don't know whether to feel relieved or not," Beth sighed and they all looked at her puzzled and she went on to explain. "She snapped at me again. And she also said something really scary," Beth lowered her voice so Mika wouldn't overhear. "She said the girls would be better off without her," Beth looked to Daryl, "You were right," Beth felt tears threatening. She hated that Carol seemed to saving all her frustration just for Beth. It hurt; they used to be so close. It was often Carol that Beth went to when she needed advice when it came to Zach. Things with Zach seemed a lifetime ago but she and Carol went back further than that. Their relationship ran deeper than that. It hurt that she was lashing out at Beth now and that she seemed to be the only one she was saving that behavior for.

"Oh Bethie," Maggie said softly, reaching over the table and squeezing her hand. Daryl's hand moved from her back up to the back of her neck, massaging gently. "You're probably closer to her than any of the rest of us, besides Daryl that is," Maggie looked at Daryl as the rest of them did too.

"Me?," Daryl asked a little incredulous. They always looked to him for this kind of shit and he couldn't understand it sometimes, the need for others to put him in a leading position but Rick had done it too. If he were here, he'd probably have the same idea.

Beth looked at him hopefully then. He sighed, conceding defeat when he saw her expression and then the others as well. "Fine, I'll talk to her tomorrow." Daryl relented. "Now we gotta get goin'. Can't be late for the meetin'. They are organizin' a supply run too. Just for basics. Ya'll should make a list." Daryl looked to the rest of them as he stood up and they nodded.

Beth looked at him thoughtfully and it reminded Beth of all the times they were going out on runs at the prison. They had slipped into this community of people like they belonged there and it seemed so cozy and safe it was hard to remember that they weren't really there by choice. It was the safest place they had been for months and perhaps even safer than the prison had been. But Beth knew from experience that you couldn't trust a situation fully. Despite the fact that she wanted to pretend that everything was fine, there was still a world out there teeming with monsters, the kind that had come back from the dead and the kind that had always inhabited the world, only now it was made so much worse by the anarchic nature of their new world.

Beth looked over to Mika and Judith and sent up another prayer, thankful again that they had all been reunited and thankful too that they had found this place. She stood up and walked Daryl to the door, glancing to make sure Judith didn't follow her. The little girl was constantly underfoot these days and still clingy to Beth, although she was glad she had ventured out a bit and Beth had Lucky to thank for that. He seemed to have traded his loyalty to Aslan for Judith and Beth thought it very sweet.

"See you tonight?" Beth whispered as she wrapped her arms up around his neck and tucked her head under his chin.

"Just try and keep me away," Daryl murmured into her hair, breathing her in. "Mrs. Dixon to be," he whispered as he pulled himself away reluctantly and walked out of the room, following after Tyreese and Glenn.

Beth watched him go and felt her heart fill again even as it felt like it her stomach had plummeted to her feet, tenderness threatening to overwhelm her at his words. She couldn't even form a proper response before he had left the room but he had looked at her and winked, knowing that he had probably shocked her with the sentiment. Sometimes she wasn't sure if there was any more room for her heart to swell with the love she felt for this man and then he went and did something like that. She realized that she liked being called Mrs. Dixon, even if it was to-be. She wondered how in the world they would ever make it official and suddenly a plan was forming in her mind. She hoped Daryl would go along with it but she went in search of Rin, knowing that her new friend would be more than happy to help her out with her request. She grinned to herself as she scooped Judith up. "Let's go girls, Lucky, we have a wedding to plan," Beth smiled to herself as Mika chattered happily.

"Can I be the flower girl, Beth?" Mika asked, her smile beaming in Beth's direction.

"You bet," Beth reached over to smooth the little girl's hair as they walked across the courtyard.

Despite the fact of all that was going on with Carol, she was happy for the moment. She could not even wait to be Mrs. Daryl Dixon. She had never thought that she would get an opportunity to be someone's anything in this new world, had never even thought she would survive this long, but becoming Daryl's wife? She couldn't get the grin off her face as she finally found Rin.

"So, know anyone who can marry me and Daryl?" Beth asked her, looking hopeful.

Rin nearly squealed as she hugged Beth. "I thought you'd never ask."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter coming up now. ;)


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was solely inspired by repeatedly watching gifs of Tough Luck. Yep the one with the mirrors. And I am not even sorry.

As it turned out, Rin's uncle Ray lived on the other side of the zoo. There was a crew over there working on the panda enclosure, securing it better as it was the one closest to the edge of the zoo and the fences there, though strong, were heavily wooded and very hard to monitor by any one task force with all the acreage the zoo encompassed. Ray had been a minister before the turn and he had been holding church services at the zoo every Sunday in the courtyard. It had been a very long time since Beth had been to a church service of any kind. It had been a regular part of their life at the farm. It was done without question. Sunday morning came, you got dressed and you went to church services. It was the way in the South and it had always been the way with her Daddy.

She smiled as she thought of him and this whole wedding had brought about bittersweet feelings. Every little girl dreamed of her wedding day and Beth Greene was no different. She remembered spending many a summer afternoon laying under the big old oak tree in the meadow behind the farm daydreaming about her wedding day. In her mind, it was always sunny and she wanted to be married right there in that meadow, her long white dress flowing, something simple with easy lines and her feet were always bare, holding onto her Daddy's arm as she walked down the aisle to her faceless groom. The only difference in the daydream now was she now pictured Daryl's face as the person she would be walking towards. She knew an apocalyptic wedding was an almost impossible task but she didn't care. She just wanted to be forever Daryl's and no one elses and not much else mattered. Except that she had to have someone to walk her down the aisle and the only person she could not get off her mind for the task was Rick. She was missing him something fierce. They had grown to be friends and quite close since Lori had died. She had taken over the care of Judith and she wished more than anything that he could be here to see his little girl now.

She shifted the little girl higher on her hip now as she paced back and forth with her in the small room. Maggie was due to be here any moment and she was counting the minutes until she could grab a shower before Daryl got back. They had moved a cot into the room for Mika and Beth was thankful that all this was temporary. The room had been small before but now that Mika and Judith were rooming in with her and Daryl, the size of it had seemed to shrink drastically. Not that she minded the little girls, but it was quite a strain the past few days. It didn't help much that Carol had made no progress at all. They had barely been able to get her to eat anything the past few days. She did seem to be drinking everything they brought her but she never responded to anyone unless it was to bark at them to get out of her room. Beth thought, if anything, Carol had gotten much worse in the past few days.

Isaac had assured them that he would be finished moving everything from the head zookeeper's apartment on the top floor of one of the other dorms. It was a small three bedroom apartment but it was larger than anything they had stayed in so far and Beth was looking forward to the extra room Judith would have to play. They were planning on visiting the Pandas the next day, something Beth had been looking forward to for days. Rin had offered to go with them to introduce them to her uncle Ray. Beth couldn't wait to see Judith's face when she saw the Panda bears. She sat Judith down beside Mika who was coloring a picture.

Judith started chattering her baby-speak and was happily chewing away on the plastic cups Beth had found for her to play with. She seemed to love stacking them and knocking them down over and over. Beth wished more and more every day that she had some kind of book that would tell her all the things that Judith should be doing at this age but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that it didn't really matter. The fact that Judith was here, was alive, and thriving was enough in this world. She truly was a Little Ass Kicker, she had lived up to the nickname Daryl had given her quite well. She was living proof that there was still beauty left to be seen in this world. She reached over and ran her hand lovingly over her soft downy head and that earned her an adorable toothy grin. She peered closer and saw that another tooth had erupted along her top gumline, adding to the teeth that she already had.

"Look who cut another tooth," Beth exclaimed, leaning down to kiss her on the top of her head. "that's why you were so fussy last night." Beth remarked to no one in particular.

"Yeah, she bit me this morning," Mika said without looking up from her picture. She had been intent on the drawing for the past ten minutes, concentrating all her efforts on keeping her coloring between the lines she herself drew. It appeared to be a stick figure family and there were animals drawn in various places over the paper. Mika was a surprisingly good artist for the age of seven. Of course, there was no better childhood landscape than the place they were living now.

"She bit you? Why didn't you say something?" Beth asked Mika gently and Mika finally looked up from her paper.

"It didn't hurt really, she was just playing." Mika laughed at Judith taking the cups and putting them on her head and letting them fall to the floor. Judith evidently found it to be hilarious and she kept erupting into baby giggles that made Beth laugh too.

That's how Maggie found them when she walked in the room. "What's so funny ladies?" Maggie asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Judy's being a silly baby, that's all," Beth laughed in her sister's direction.

"Miss Beth, I drew this for you," Beth sat down on the bed beside Maggie and looked at Mika. She was holding out the drawing she had been working on so feverishly.

Mika smiled shyly at her as she handed Beth the drawing. Beth looked down at it, admiring the detail she had given to her stick figure people.

Mika pointed out various features, "That's you Miss Beth and that's Mr. Daryl," She said as she pointed to a blonde stick figure with a braid drawn in the side. "That's me and Judy", Mika said pointing to the two smaller figures. Beth couldn't help but notice that Mika had drawn a braid in her own hair to mimic Beth's and it made her smile. "And this is Mr. Daryl." Mika had drawn Daryl with a smile on his face and holding his crossbow or at least Beth figured that was what the object in Daryl's hand was supposed to be.

"This is wonderful Mika," Beth whispered, her emotions threatening to choke her.

"Carol always told us that families are made up of all kinds of people. She said that all of us at the prison were family," Mika said looking at Beth and then Maggie. "We're kind of like a family here at the zoo too, aren't we Miss Beth."

Beth felt the tears well up in her eyes at the mention of family. She noticed a figure up in the corner of the drawing. It was a small girl with crudely drawn wings that looked suspiciously like the wings on the back of Daryl's leather vest. "Who's this sweetheart?" Beth asked her, looking at the little girl's face and watching as it fell a bit and the tears welled up in her eyes and spilled down over her cheeks.

"It's my sister. I really miss her, but she's watching out for us now," Mika said sagely and Beth heard Maggie's sharp intake of breath beside her, knowing instinctively that her sister was crying now too.

"I know you do sweetheart," Beth murmured as she pulled her close to her and Mika buried her head in Beth's lap. Beth stroke her hair silently and glanced to Maggie, whose eyes mirrored her own. It was hard not to cry in that moment, her heart feeling like it was breaking in a million pieces for the little girl who had lost so much in this world; her mother, her father and her sister. She identified with Mika so strongly in that moment. Against all odds, this little girl had survived too. She was no like the others before her. She wasn't strong like Maggie or fierce like Michonne. She was born into an uncertain world and then thrust into an impossible one and she was still alive. She had survived and the apocalypse had heaped the most horrible lot of crap on her and she still was sitting in this room, drawing pictures of her dead sister and teaching them all a little about humanity and what it meant to have family.

Mika only cried for a bit and then sat up and sniffed, wiping her tears with the back of her sleeve. "But she's not sick anymore. She's an angel now and she knows what she did was wrong. She's okay now." Mika smiled. "So I'm okay too." She said softly and sat back down on the floor to play with Judy.

Maggie looked over at Beth and moved her hand over to grab Beth's. Beth met her eyes. "They really are resilient aren't they?" Beth remarked.

"Yes, they are Bethie. And it's a good thing. In this world, that's what's needed the most. The strength to bounce back when it seems like there ain't no use in even tryin' anymore," Maggie said, squeezing her hand.

Beth squeezed her hand right back as Maggie spoke again. "Daddy always said that everything in this world was risking your life. The only thing you can choose is what you're risking it for." Beth nearly wept again at her words, but she knew her father would not want them to be sad for him.

"Guess family is worth risking it every day. It's why we fight, right? It's why we fight to stay alive. This little bit of happy that we find. It's worth it." Beth said, knowing she had made her mind up on this a long time ago. About the time that she realized how much she really did love Daryl Dixon.

Beth sighed, watching the girls play. Mika was crawling around on the floor with Judith pretending to be a dog and predictably so, Judith was mocking her. Lucky had gone with Daryl and Glenn to the meeting.

"Daryl will be back soon, I better go hit the showers," Beth said, standing to leave.

"Go, they'll be fine here with me. Take your time," Maggie smiled at her sister.

A few short minutes later, Beth was under the steady spray of warm water. Beth relished in the feel of it and she didn't know if she would ever take a hot shower for granted again. It was a hard thing to get used to again. Hell, having a shower at all felt foreign, let alone a hot one. As the warm water washed down over her body, Beth reached for the bar of soap and worked up a rich lather, delighting in the clean smell and the way her hand slid so readily over the surface of her skin, the bubbles forming and floating down her body. Beth tipped her head back into the spray, letting it drench her hair and she worked some of the soap into her hair as well. After she was all rinsed off, she was loathe to turn off the shower and decided that a few more minutes wouldn't really hurt anything. She let her mind drift a bit and her thoughts naturally drifted to Daryl.

It had been days since they had made love. They tried every night but one or the other of the girls had demanded their attention. It had made intimacy a real issue as of late and Beth couldn't wait to get in their new place which hopefully would afford them a little more privacy. After all, they had just made the leap in the progression of their relationship the very night before they were reunited with Carol, Tyreese and the girls. Not that Beth would ever complain about that. Finding part of their prison family meant so much to her. It was just that Daryl had awakened a part of her that she hadn't really known existed and she found that she thought about him touching her much of the time. Now that her inner goddess had been awakened, she wasn't sure she could put her back to rest.

Beth let her fingers glide over her the soft taut skin of her belly and slid them back up, pretending for a moment that it was Daryl's fingers that found her breast, Daryl's hands that caressed it, Daryl's finger and thumb that pinched her nipple so slightly under the warm spray of the water. As Beth slid her hand lower and lower until she was between her legs, she pretended it was Daryl's fingers that slid in between her wet folds, made even slicker by the warm water and her current state of arousal. Her breathing picked up as her fingers worked on that hardened nub where all thought was abandoned and gave away to just feeling.

* * *

Daryl trudged slowly the last few steps up to the shower house, already anticipating the shower he was about to have. He had taken at least three cold showers in the last few days in an attempt to tame the raging boner that he always seemed to have now, especially when he was around Beth. But walking back to the dorms, he had parted ways with Glenn and told him he was going to grab a shower before heading back to his and Beth's room. Well, his, Beth's and two tiny little girls who had managed to steal a place in his heart even as they stole his spot beside Beth in the bed most nights. He knew they were moving in a few days to the apartment on the top floor of the dorm and Daryl, for one, couldn't wait. He was dying to just run his hands all over Beth and bury himself in her. He wasn't sure if he would ever get enough her, the sweet taste of her lips, the curve of her hip, that dip in the hollow of her throat, her firm, round breasts.

Yeah, keep it up, Dixon and you'll be coming in your pants before you ever even get to the shower, he thought. There were just so many things he wanted to do with Beth and right now, he was quite effectively cock-blocked.

As he entered the shower house, he swore softly, hearing the water running already. So much for getting rid of all the sexual tension he was feeling. But as he rounded the corner of the main shower room, the steam cleared a bit and he could glimpse the top of milky white thighs curving up into the most perfect ass he had ever seen. He could just barely see this glimpse through the slightly parted curtain. Beth was usually more careful about covering herself and he noticed suddenly that her head was tipped back. He moved forward cautiously and as he got closer, the curtain parted a little further as she backed into it, clearly distracted by something. He moved to the right a bit and got a better view and felt his mouth go dry and drop open as he realized that Beth, his Beth, was pleasuring herself. His dick twitched in his pants and he silently began removing all his clothing until he was naked. He cleared his throat a bit hoping he wasn't going to scare the daylights out of her. She dipped her head then and clutched the curtain, peeking out a bit, "Who's there?" Beth called and then her eyes came to rest on his. Her mouth formed a little 'O' of surprise and then she grinned at him.

Beth had known she had almost reached her climax when she heard something. She had honestly been so locked in the zone that she hadn't been concentrating on much else besides what she felt between her legs. As she stared at the object of her desire in front of her, she glanced about the shower room. "We alone?" She asked him, her eyes hooded with desire as they drank in the sight of him, standing there, staring at her. She knew she should probably be embarrassed, but right now she just wanted Daryl. Wanted him in every sense of the word.

Daryl nodded, "Mmhmm", he murmured as he stepped into the shower beside her and let the water wash over him, groaning and he didn't know which was more pleasurable; the hot water washing over him or the sight of Beth standing before him, dripping wet and he knew without even checking that she was wet and ready for him. Daryl quickly soaped himself up and let the water wash over him.

"Good," She said as she stared at him hungrily and ran her tongue over her bottom lip. Daryl watched as her lips parted and he knew that he had to have her right then. He moved forward, his movements sure and purposeful as he took her in his arms and he smiled against her lips as he felt her mold herself to him, every curve, every plane of her body fitting to him as she wound her arms up around his neck. He pressed his lips to hers and used his tongue to part them, her mouth accepting his tongue greedily as she kissed him back.

Beth marveled at the feel of his tongue in her mouth and thought she would never tire of kissing him like this. He nipped at her bottom lip lightly with his teeth, then drawing it in and sucking gently. She groaned into his mouth as he ran his hands down over the back of her, cupping her bottom and squeezing and kneading the flesh there. Beth wiggled her hips, needing more, craving the closest contact she could find. She ran her hands up his back, feeling the ridges of his muscles rippling under the spray of the water and feeling the slight edges of the multiple scars that riddled his back. He didn't flinch anymore when she touched him there and she sighed against his lips.

As he kissed his way down her chin and her jaw, she tipped her head back and let him spread his kisses further down her neck. He let one hand drift lower and lower, caressing until he reached the juncture of her thighs and Beth was pretty sure that was where all the blood in her body was now as she was slightly dizzy from his kisses and the way his adept fingers were moving over her body. He cupped her sex with the palm of his hand and let his middle finger part her lips there, delving inside and sliding up and inserting it into her wet and ready opening.

Beth moaned loudly against his mouth and he swallowed it with his own as he felt her hand drifting lower and closing her fingers around his hard cock, moving her hand up and down just like he had shown her before.

He reluctantly pulled away from her and heard her whimper then. "Relax, Princess, I've just got to get our protection." He whispered as he padded his wet feet over to where he had dropped his clothes, thinking better of leaving them lying there where people could draw their own conclusions and placing them behind the nearest bench. In fact, he could think of a better place that they could do this. Back in the back where the dressing room was located was much more private and hardly anyone ever ventured back there. He reached in to the shower and turned off the water and looked at Beth's adorable pouty face.

"Come on," he whispered as he grabbed a couple of towels off the bench and used his other hand to grab her hand, pulling her to the back of the shower house where there were several enclosed dressing rooms with a mirror and a bench in each one. He chose the one furthest from the door and closed the door behind them.

He turned to find her watching him curiously. "So you carry condoms with you now, huh?" Beth smirked at him.

"Well, you never know when you're gonna need one. You complainin' Greene?" He asked her, a smirk of his own playing across his lips.

"Nah, just wondering how many opportunities you might have to use one out there patrollin' and goin' to secret meetings." She was teasing him and he knew it.

He grinned at her. "Yeah, well, a guy never knows when a cute little blonde will wiggle her ass at him, making all common sense fly right out the window." Daryl was laughing at himself, something he had been able to do more and more with Beth.

"How many cute little blondes do you know?" Beth teased.

"Just one. Only one I'm willing to spend my whole life with anyway." Daryl's voice turned gruff then, his eyes drinking her in.

Beth melted a little, her heart forming a puddle on the floor beneath them. She licked her lips and started to say something when he was on her again and it took her breath away, the passion in his eyes as he dipped his head and his lips claimed hers, the intensity of his voice when he had spoken, the way his hands gripped her and the way his arms enveloped her. He turned them then so her ass was pressed against the full length mirror. She was startled a bit for a moment, catching her reflection out of the corner of her eye at the mirror on the adjacent wall and she was instantly aroused again, watching Daryl kiss along her jaw. The reflection on both mirrors provided her with an ample view of everything he was doing to her, moving lower and lower with his lips and it seemed that the reflection of their passion went on forever in the mirrors just like their love for one another did.

She sucked in her breath as he reached the juncture of her thighs and glancing up at her and then at the reflection in the mirror and grinned.

Daryl was suddenly very glad he had this idea. He had wanted privacy; the mirrors were a welcome bonus. He watched her as she watched their reflection and he concentrated his efforts on licking his way down her still slightly damp body. He reached down, pausing for a moment above the crest of her thigh, watching her reaction. Her mouth was dropped open and he could hear her breath hitching in her chest in anticipation of what she knew was coming next.

He lifted her left leg and hitched it up over his shoulder and he groaned at the sight of her, all of her, the pink flesh glistening from the shower and how aroused she was. He didn't waste any time on preamble, wanting her to feel everything all at once, and he dipped his head down suddenly and flicked his tongue out to run it over her slit, letting it delve in deeper and licking all the way up to her clit. He pulled her against his mouth then and he felt her hands move up to his head, her fingers threading through his hair, gripping it firmly as she moaned. He continued licking up and down her slit and then gripped her ass, pulling her tightly against his mouth as he worked his tongue around her hardened nub, the bundle of nerves slippery with her wetness. He reached up and inserted two fingers into her ready opening and felt her walls clench around his fingers even as he sucked at her clit, tonguing around it. She writhed and wiggled and bucked against his mouth, but he held her firmly in place. He removed his fingers from her and continued sucking on her clit while he tongued around it, delving his whole tongue inside her from time to time, loving the taste of her, the sweetness threatening to overwhelm his senses. He reached down at the condom wrapper he had placed on the bench and deftly unwrapped it and slid it over his hardened cock.

Beth glanced down at him then. "But I wanted to give you a blow job," Beth pouted and he nearly came then at her words, the wanton look in her eyes, the pout, all of it nearly pushing him over the edge.

"Oh sweetheart, there's nothing I'd like better than you...doing just that," he paused, his voice coming out as a whisper. "But right now, all I wanna do is fuck you." Daryl stopped himself. "I'm sorry, maybe that was the wrong word." Daryl didn't know how to do this part. The right words, the right things to say. He wasn't sure what the PC term was, he guessed making love probably was the right thing but it didn't seem to fit their current predicament. They were in the shower house and watching each other in a double mirror. It didn't get much sexier than that.

Beth groaned then and pulled him up in front of her. "No fucking me is exactly what you should do," she said testing the words out on her lips and finding that she liked them. It made her feel sexy. Wanted. Yes, Daryl Dixon fucking her. Yes, please.

Daryl didn't need any further invitation than that. He moved up in front of her and hitched her leg up over his hip on one side and lifting her and doing the same with the other, entering her in one fluid motion as he buried his face in her neck. "God, Beth, you feel so fucking good."

Beth moaned against his hair. "Oh god, Daryl yes. Please fuck me." Beth couldn't believe she was asking him for exactly what she wanted and even though they had only done it a couple times so far and her walls were still tight, it felt so good, his hard member filling her up so completely that she thought she would die from the pleasure. She ached low in her belly as he started moving faster, knowing she needed more.

As Daryl pushed himself inside her, her backside against the mirror, he knew there was no greater feeling in the world than being buried inside Beth. Watching their movements in the mirror was almost more than he could bear.

She moaned again and he knew he was not going to last much longer. He reached between them and moved his finger against her clit, rubbing circles over it as he slammed himself into her again and again, each time drawing his dick out as far as he could and then thrusting back in again, feeling so fucking satisfying. She was writhing now and her legs were shaking and he braced one hand against the wall holding them both up. He felt the moment it happened for her and looked up to watch, her mouth opened and her breathing coming in fast pants, head tipped back against the mirror and eyes closed. "Oh god, Daryl, yes." She moaned loudly and he thought that everyone in the whole goddamned zoo would hear them and he found he didn't give two shits about it.

He felt his own release coming then and knew he was past the point of no return. As her walls clenched around him and she came undone underneath him, he shattered into a million pieces as his orgasm gripped him, sending waves of pleasure down his spine and his leg muscles quivering and contracting as he came. "Beth," his voice was a moan, a promise, an oath.

As they both came down from their climax, he slid them both to the bench next to them and pulled out of her, pulling the condom off and tying a knot in it. He pressed his lips to her hair as he sat her on his lap.

"God, I missed you." Beth breathed against him, resting her head against his shoulder. He moved his hand up to her shoulder and squeezed.

"I missed you too, Princess. Any ideas on when we're getting our new digs. I know they said a few days, but it can't happen soon enough." Daryl murmured against her, feeling like he could pass the fuck out right then and there, but knew they should be getting back.

"Isaac said Thursday sometime. We better get back. Maggie is probably wonderin' where I am". She giggled as she slipped from his lap and he felt her absence immediately and thought how ridiculous it was, how much he needed her. He had never needed anyone in his entire life but in the space of a few short months, Beth had made him want everything he had stayed away from for so long. And he did. He wanted it all with her. Wanted this slice of heaven made just for them. This safe haven of their love, carved out in a world that had gone so wrong but somehow making it all fit, making it feel like home.

They dressed quickly, each of them stealing quick glances at each other and smiling every so often.

He would never in his life every get used to the way she looked at him. "I love you Beth." He whispered suddenly as he pulled her back into his arms one more time before heading back to the dorm.

Beth sighed as she rested her head on his chest. "I love you too, Daryl."

And that was all that needed to be said. Their love, though new, was enough. Enough to sustain them. Enough to get them through this. Through anything. It was just…..enough. And that was all he needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, I don't know about you kids, but I'm going to take a cold shower and have a smoke.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for a small celebration don't you think? ;)

Beth put her hands on her hips and tilted her head to the side, rubbing it against her shoulder in an attempt to clear the fine sheen of sweat on her forehead. She had been moving the furniture around their new apartment and deciding which way it would all work best. She had Daryl and herself set up in the first bedroom and Mika and Judith in the room across the hall, setting up Judith' pack and play on the wall adjacent from the full size bed for Mika. She couldn't help but think that it was a big bed for such a small girl, but from the way Mika was now jumping up and down on the mattress like it was a trampoline, she supposed she should be more worried about Mika doing that.

"Mika, sweetheart, no jumping on the bed," Beth gently admonished her and tried to hide a laugh as Judy erupted into a fit of baby giggles when Mika pretended to fall on the bed. Judy evidently thought everything Mika did was hilarious and the older girl had slipped easily into the role of big sister.

"Yes, Momm-," Mika stopped herself and Beth paused, feeling her heart constrict in her chest at Mika's words. "I mean, Miss Beth," Mika finished looking a little apprehensively towards Beth. "I'm sorry, I know you don't like to be called that." Mika sat on the edge of the bed and looked to Beth, her big brown eyes pools of sadness. Lucky was lying at the foot of the bed and Beth shooed him down so she could sit down next to the little girl, reaching a hand out to smooth her hair down. All the jumping and running around had rendered her hair hopeless and Beth was wishing she had thought to plait it before they got started with their very busy day.

"Who said that I don't like that?," Beth looked at Mika who finally looked at Beth, her eyes revealing the pain of losing so many mother figures. It was nearly more than Beth's heart could take, thinking about all this little girl had lost.

"Well, Carol didn't want us to call her that," Mika said. "Said she wasn't our mother, just our friend." Mika finished, her hands resting in her lap.

Beth pulled the little girl to her side tightly and leaned down and kissed the top of her head. She had truly missed taking care of the children since the prison. Mika calling her Momma stunned her initially, but then a comfortable, soothing weight had settled in her chest, right where her heart lay beating. "Mika, honey, you can call me whatever you like. Whatever feels normal to you. Do you understand what I'm saying?" She realized suddenly that she had become a surrogate mother to Judith and Mika and had never looked back once. It was a relationship borne out of necessity, grief, and love for family.

"I think so. I can call you Momma though if I want?" Mika said, her eyes looking up hopefully to Beth.

"Of course, I don't think your real momma would mind a bit," Beth smiled softly at her.

Mika nodded thoughtfully. "You think Lizzie would have called you Momma?"

Beth looked at her carefully and thought about what she could say. The little girl was obviously still working through some of her grief and she knew what that felt like, perhaps better than anyone. Beth had lost her own mother as well as her brother when the outbreak had started. Lori had filled the void for a little while but now she was gone too. She may not be this little girl's mother, but she would damned if she was going to deny her calling her Momma if that was how she felt about it. In a world that had seemingly gone straight to hell, all they had left was each other. No sense in getting hung up on semantics and social niceties. They didn't exist anymore anyway.

"I don't know, sweetie, but I'd like to think that she would have liked staying here with me and Daryl as much as you do," Beth said, hoping that was enough to answer the little girl's question. She wished she had the answers but these days, there were no solid answers, only more questions. Judith squealed from her pack and play, reaching up chubby hands, "Ma, ma, ma," she babbled sweetly as she squeezed her fingers open and closed and Beth and Mika laughed.

"Looks like Judy wants to call you Momma too," Mika remarked as she hopped up from the bed and walked over to the pack and play, playing peek-a-boo with the baby.

Beth's heart caught in her throat as Judith continued to say "Ma, ma ma," still reaching for Beth and now rubbing at her eyes with her tiny fists. She didn't think her heart could feel any fuller right now.

She looked out the window noting that the sun had dipped a little, indicating that it was way past time for Judith's afternoon nap. If she didn't get her down soon, she would be either unbearable through supper or she'd never go to sleep tonight. She got up, sighing, and scooped the little girl up out of her bed.

"Let's go change your diaper, punkin'," Beth murmured, kissing her head and inhaling her sweet baby scent and patting her back gently.

"Ma-ma", Judith laid her head down on Beth's shoulder, her tiny little hand patting Beth's back in imitation of Beth's motions and Beth nearly melted at her words.

"Yes, baby girl, I can be your mama, too," Beth felt tears pricking at the corner of her eyes. No one had ever told her that being a mom, even a surrogate one, broke your heart one moment at a time and in between those moments, it got put back together again. She smiled to herself as she made quick work of changing the little girl and settled her against her hip again as she heard the door to the apartment open and close with a loud click.

He appeared in the doorway of the bedroom then, "How's my girls this afternoon?" Daryl asked as he crossed the room to place a chaste kiss on Beth's lips, murmuring, "And how's my love?" He murmured against her lips as he pulled away, dropping a quick kiss on the top of Judy's head and ruffling Mika's hair when she ran over to him, hugging his leg.

Beth beamed at him, "I'm good, just trying to get this place in shape," Beth sat Judith down in her crib and the little girl didn't waste time in laying down and gripping her blanket pulling it to her face. She had always liked something soft and close to her face while going to sleep.

Beth's heart constricted again watching Mika holding onto Daryl's leg and not letting go and Beth giggled looking to Daryl then who looked a little lost with a tiny girl attaching herself to his leg.

"Daryl, can we go to see the pandas today?" Mika looked up at him hopefully. "Momma said we could maybe later," Mika looked to Beth then, her eyes full of hope and mischief.

Daryl looked at Beth then and he raised an eyebrow at Mika's words. "She did huh?" Daryl saw the evidence of tears on her face then. "You okay?" he asked her and reached down to lightly tickle Mika's ribs, earning a high-pitched squeal from the tiny blonde.

"Yeah, Mika wants to call me Momma," Beth looked to Daryl then, hesitant, not sure how he would take it.

"Yeah, I got that," He looked to her as they all made to exit the room, leaving Judith to take her nap. Lucky just sat on the edge of the bed watching them leave.

"Lucky, you comin' boy?" he called to the dog and patted the side of his leg, but Lucky just shifted his gaze to Judith's crib and back to Daryl again. "I get it boy, you wanna stay with Lil Ass Kicker," Daryl shook his head. He swore that dog could understand everything they said sometimes.

Beth laughed as Lucky laid his head back on his paws. "Looks like we have been kicked to the curb, again," Beth closed the door quietly.

"It's great how he wants to stay close to the girls, protectin' them," Daryl remarked.

Beth nodded, agreeing, "He won't leave her side, that's for sure." Mika plopped down at the kitchen table right off the living area and started working on her drawings again.

"You check on Carol today?" Daryl asked, setting his crossbow down. It had been a long morning and an even longer night the night before, having made the run into a neighboring town. They had come back with quite a haul, medicines, canned foods, and more clothes for the kids.

"Yeah, no change at all. Daryl I am really worried now. I just want to shake her. I am trying to be patient with her, but she either is yelling at me or staring at the walls. I swear I really thought it would work for you to talk to her," Beth sighed deeply.

"I don't know what to tell ya, Princess," Daryl murmured as he stepped closer to her and pulled her into his arms and he marveled again at how she felt so impossibly tiny in his arms. He used to worry about her breaking but lately with all the secret trysts they had been having, she had proved herself a little minx where the physical part of their relationship was concerned and he knew she could handle more than it looked like.

"I tried. I really did, but our relationship just ain't the same anymore. 'Specially since she won't talk to me. Seems she won't talk to anyone but you. 'S strange," Daryl murmured and pulled back to look at her. "But she ain't been yelling at you again, has she?" That was something he could not abide, Carol screaming at Beth like all this was her fault and it wasn't. Beth had done nothing but help out where she was needed. She had filled a void in Judith's life. Hell she had filled a void in his too.

Beth had brought him to a place in life where he actually thought he could have what she was offering. This thing between them, he'd never had anything like it before and he knew he'd spend the rest of his life wondering what the hell she saw in him.

Beth shook her head, "No she ain't been yellin'," Beth sighed, clearly exasperated. "Sometimes I wish she would. Maybe then I could yell back," Beth looked up at him and he lowered his lips to hers, pressing a sweet soft kiss and deepening it just slightly before pulling back again.

"Yeah, if she does that, I bet you'll win," he smirked and she knew what he was referring to. "Just tell her she's being a jackass," Daryl chuckled then and Beth playfully shoved his chest.

"Stop," Beth chided and Daryl just laughed, pressing a kiss to her lips again.

"Gross!," Mika called from the table and they both chuckled. "Momma, come look at my picture. You too Daryl," Mika called out and Beth disentangled herself from Daryl's arms and walked over to the table, Daryl following slowly behind.

Beth's heart rushed up to her throat as she realized what Mika had just drawn. The little girl's drawings were so good, it was immediately obvious that the picture she had drawn was Daryl on a motorcycle and not the one they had left at the prison. Beth flushed and was relieved to hear a knock on their door.

Daryl turned then, "I'll be right back ladies," he said and held up one finger.

Beth looked to Mika then and grinned, "You crazy girl, you almost gave away the secret. Quick, work on another drawing and I'll hide this one," Mika looked horrified for a minute and then giggled as Beth hid the drawing on top of the refrigerator.

"I'm sorry Momma, I forgot! How much longer til we can tell him?" Mika whispered, a little too loudly for Beth's taste.

"Not long now sweetheart, we're gonna give it to him at supper," Beth whispered fiercely. "Let's go see who is here," Beth murmured as she held her hand out for the little girl to take. Beth had been planning this for days. It was Daryl's birthday today. She had asked him a long time ago at the prison and she doubted that Daryl even knew that day was today. She had not mentioned it and he didn't act any differently. She figured he hadn't ever gotten anything for his birthday. He had alluded as much during their game of Never Have I Ever back at their moonshine shack.

So when Glenn, Tyreese, Daryl and Austin had come back from their run and Austin had been going on and on about a Harley Davidson shop nearby, an idea had formed in Beth's mind. She had been trying to come up with an idea for Daryl's birthday for several days and when Austin had mentioned it, she began to formulate a plan, involving only Austin and Tyreese in it, it being widely known that Glenn was terrible at keeping secrets. She smiled to herself, thinking that in a couple of hours she would be able to give it to him. Tyreese and Austin had gotten it the night before, Daryl having been busy on perimeter watch at the other side of the zoo. It was currently parked in a back room of the courtyard. Beth had even managed to find a large piece of red fabric and had fashioned a bow and attached it around the handlebars. She was practically giddy at the thought of Daryl seeing his present. He had done so much for everyone else, always putting others needs before his own. She had just wanted for once to do something nice for him. What better time than his birthday to do that.

She followed the sound of voices into the living area. It was Austin and Rin. "Looks like you got settled in quick," Rin remarked looking around. "It looks a lot better than when Isaac lived here," Rin wrinkled her nose.

Beth looked to Rin and laughed, "Not the neatest guy is he," Beth remarked. The apartment had been freed of all of Isaac's clutter but it had taken a good scrubbing to get it completely clean.

Rin shook her head and laughed. "We just stopped by to see if the girls want to see the pandas tomorrow? We're going over to see my uncle. Plus I haven't seen the pandas in a week," Beth laughed as Rin made a dramatic face.

"You going through Panda withdrawals?" Beth giggled.

"Yeah, plus I think Mika and Judy would really love it. I know I do," she gushed and Beth couldn't help but notice the way Austin looked star-struck as he stared at her while she spoke. Oh yeah, the boy had it real bad, she thought. Rin seemed unfazed by Austin's not so subtle attention. She wondered if she even knew the kid was in love with her.

Beth nodded enthusiastically, "I've been meaning to get them there, but it's been busy with moving in here. We should be able to go. Leave after breakfast?" Beth asked.

"Sounds good," Rin remarked and looked to Mika. "You wanna help us fix dinner, Mika?"

Mika started jumping up and down. She loved spending time with Rin and Austin. "Can I go Momma?" She looked to Beth, eyes dancing hopefully.

Beth laughed, "Of course. Mind your manners." Beth reminded her and Mika came over to her then and hugged her tight around her waist. "Thanks Momma I will. You're the best."

Beth swallowed around the lump that had risen in her throat at the little girl's praise. Was this what it felt like? Being a mother? She knew she'd never probably have a chance to have a child of her own, but being this girl's mom, even as a surrogate, she wouldn't trade it for anything. "Love you Mika," She said, her voice thick with emotion. She looked to Daryl then and his eyes were soft, watching the exchange between them.

Daryl watched Beth struggle with her emotions. She was such a good mother and he wished things were different. For the first time, Daryl actually wondered what it would be like to have a piece of him and a piece of her, a little one of their own. His chest felt oddly tight and he knew instantly it wasn't panic, but something a little like hope. A wish. A dream of yesterday's world. Not this world of today, hell on earth, a place unsafe for children. A place where monsters really did exist and they could be found in the back of your mind, in your closet, under your bed, the stench of their rotting breath hovering at every corner. This was not a world for children anymore, but he'd like to think if the situation was different, he'd like kids. With Beth.

Beth smoothed her hand over her jeans, new, acid-washed and they fit her perfectly. Austin had brought back several pairs for Rin and some of them hadn't fit the younger girl, so Beth had taken them to try some. She looked in the mirror in the bedroom as she put the finishing touches on her hair, trying not to be too conspicuous about how she was dressing up a little. As she gazed at her reflection, her hair down for a change, she thought she actually looked a little bit pretty. She had foregone any make up and instead smoothed some lip gloss Rin had given her over her lips and rubbing them together. She wondered briefly if Daryl would like kissing her with lip gloss.

She gazed at the mirror one more time and she blushed furiously remembering the last time she had been standing in front of a mirror for any length of time. Daryl had surprised her that night, pressing her up against that mirror and doing what he did. His lips and tongue working their magic and she felt that now familiar ache and forced her thoughts elsewhere. It wasn't going to do anyone any good if she got all hot and bothered now. It was time for supper now. She smoothed her hand over her hair one more time and was satisfied that it was behaving for a change, hanging in golden ringlets where she had fluffed the natural curls after her shower instead of opting for her requisite ponytail.

When she got to the courtyard, the area was already abuzz with activity. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood. Beth had Rin to quietly spread the word that it was Daryl's birthday and someone had whipped up a cake at the last minute and Beth hoped Daryl wouldn't smell it and get suspicious but she really and truly thought he had no idea it was his birthday.

Daryl walked into the courtyard and flitted his eyes around looking for Beth. He had gotten up that morning with a heavy feeling in his chest. It was his birthday. He was 37 today. Hell of a life he had led and this birthday wasn't really anything different from any other year. He barely acknowledged it anymore. It was just another day. He had never had a birthday party when he was a kid. That was something for other children. He remembered though one birthday when he was six, his momma had gotten him a shiny red fire truck. Had wrapped it up nice in some of that gift paper he saw in stores and tied a bright red bow around it that nearly matched the paint on the fire truck. She had fixed pancakes that morning, one of the few times he could remember her cooking breakfast for them all. His Pa had been in a decent mood too, though he didn't say two words to Daryl.

Momma had sat the package in front of him with the pancakes, which were god awful and burned on the edges, but he had eaten them anyway. He had relished every second of opening that present, never having gotten anything before. Merle had watched on, teasing him. "Hurry up, Daryl, my friends are waiting outside," Merle, ever the sensitive one, only caring about how something affected him and his plans, even at that young an age.

He had played with that fire truck for a week before it had disappeared out of his and Merle's room. He had wished that he had thought to hide it in his special place in the closet where he kept everything he didn't want the old man finding. He had gone to ask his Momma if she had seen his fire truck. "Daryl, it ain't my day to watch your toys. Go outside and play with your brother." It was one of her bad days, which meant it was gonna be a bad day for all of them if his father got drunk enough.

"You can't keep track of your stuff, you don't deserve to have it," His father had smirked at him then and he knew that his father had taken it. Had done something to it, destroyed it probably. It had been the nicest thing he had ever had and he had never forgotten that fire truck, its paint all fresh and shiny.

Shaking his head of the awful memory, he approached Beth where she stood with Lil Ass Kicker and Mika, along with Glenn, Tyreese, Rin, Austin, Maggie and a few other people he didn't know. They all looked to him expectantly. He met Beth's eyes and they sparkled at him. She was up to something, he knew it.

Beth handed the baby off to Maggie's waiting arms and Beth stepped forward and stood on her tiptoes, gripping her fingers on his arms for balance, "Happy birthday, baby," she whispered for only his ears.

He kissed her back and blinked at her in surprise. He remembered then, telling her at the prison and he was shocked that she had remembered. That had been ages ago. "You remembered?," he breathed as he looked down at her.

"Of course," she smiled softly at him. Rin tapped her on the shoulder then and Beth turned to see that Rin had managed to find a couple of candles after all. There was no way they were going to find 37 candles so the two she had managed to find would have to do.

Beth held her hand around the flames, keeping them from blowing out and sat it on the table in front of them where they were all standing. Beth began singing:

"Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday dear Daryl

Happy birthday to you"

Everyone had joined in the last two lines and Beth looked to him then, his face slightly flushed but he appeared to be touched rather than angry. She had worried that he would not receive it well, but she knew those fears were unfounded. He was different now. He was not the same Daryl as back at the prison or god forbid, at the moonshine shack before they had bared their souls and burned down their pasts.

Daryl looked to Beth then and blinked back tears he could feel forming.

"You have to blow out the candles, but first you have to make a wish," she said softly, placing her hand on his arm. She could tell he was struggling right now and she was overwhelmed at what she felt for him as he stood over his two measly candles and stared down at them and finally blowing them out.

He looked at her then, "I've never had a birthday cake before," he murmured and then looked up at her, the words catapulting them back to that shack and the game they had played then.

_"I never had a pet pony"_

Those words replayed over and over in his mind as Beth looked at him then. There was no time for a proper response to his I never as Tyreese walked out from the back of the courtyard with the bike, and Beth watched his face carefully and the look on his face was not one she would soon forget, his mouth dropped open and he glanced to her, his eyes meeting hers and she smiled. "Surprise," Beth whispered.

Tyreese parked the bike in front of him and clapped him on the back, "Happy birthday man," and with that everyone else wandered away from the edge of the courtyard where they had parked the bike.

Beth stepped up to him then as he ran his hand down the surface of the bike. "It's a 2007 Harley Davidson Softtail," Beth said softly, watching him carefully.

Daryl ran his hand over the paint job, the bright red-orange flames licking their way all the way down the sides of the black finish. It reminded him of that fire truck and he was so overcome with emotion, he just turned to Beth and pulled her into his arms. "You remembered" he whispered into her hair, inhaling the sweet scent of strawberries and sunshine. This woman never ceased to amaze him. No one had ever done anything like this for him before. No one had ever cared to. But she had.

Beth smiled and sighed as she leaned her head against his chest, letting herself be completely enveloped by him. "I wanted to do something nice for you," Beth pulled away then looking up at him and he was looking away in that way of his when he was uncomfortable or overcome. She knew it was the latter.

"I never had anybody give me somethin' like this before," Daryl murmured looking down at her beaming up at him, smiling her perfect smile and looking at him in her perfect way.

_"Never got anythin' from Santa Claus"_

Beth smirked. "I don't even know where we stand on our game now. I forgot though, you do owe me a couple of favors." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Hmm, here I was thinkin' I had done you a favor last night," he grinned at her then and he knew she was remembering how his lips had tasted her last night. All of her. And she blushed and he found it so endearing he leaned down and sealed his lips over hers, not caring who saw.

Beth was breathless after the kiss and sighed. "I never been on a motorcycle ride before," Beth looked up at him shyly.

"Bout time we fixed that then, don'tcha think?" He winked at her then and she nodded. "Thank you." He whispered.

"You're welcome. I just wanted to do something nice for you for a change on account you're always doin' something for everyone else, never giving a thought for yourself." Beth was reminded of something. "That reminds me. What did you wish for?" She asked him.

Daryl stared at her for a long minute, his eyes boring into hers and she could feel the intensity of his love in his gaze. She was reminded of another time when he had stared at her silently. "I didn't." He stated, continuing to meet her eyes not breaking his stare.

Beth sighed, exasperated. "Why not? You have to make a wish, Daryl! We can relight the candles," she made to step out of his arms and leaned down to the cake.

Daryl reached down and grabbed her hand away from the cake and gently pulled her back to him and then lifted her hand up to his lips, placing the softest kiss to the back of her hand. "It don't matter," he insisted.

"It does matter. It's your birthday," she said looking clearly confused and mesmerized by his chivalrous gesture.

"I didn't make a wish, Beth, 'cause all my wishes already came true," He looked at her pointedly and understanding dawned on her then and she nearly wept at his words. Because she felt the same way. God, did she ever. She'd never need anything silly and childish as a birthday cake wish or a star falling from the sky. She had everything she needed right here in front of her.

But Beth didn't say any of those things and instead the only word that came out was "Oh," and he pulled her into his arms again, kissing her senseless, leaning her against the bike.

Daryl broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against Beth's. "I love you," he said simply. And it was such an understatement saying that his wishes came true. Wishes he didn't even know he had the capacity to want. Hopes he never even knew resided in his heart. With Beth he felt like he had wished on a thousand stars and they had bent to his will, fulfilling every single unsaid dream in his heart. He sent up a silent thought to whoever was listening nowadays, thankful as ever that he had found this. With her. This love for her broke him down each day and built him back up.

_"We could have birthdays and summer picnics"_

He could do that for her. Birthdays, summer picnics, Christmas, and all the days in between. He wanted to do all the things that he had missed out on as a kid. Especially if it made him feel like he did now. Like nothing could ever touch them and the love they had for each other. He could do all this. For her. For Beth. Because he loved her. And that was all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be sure and tell me what you think


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some familiar faces come to the Refuge.

"Look Momma! Look!" Mika exclaimed from the front enclosure of the panda exhibit. They were all frolicking about, the early spring air a tease that warmer weather was approaching. The zoo had evidently installed a large slide and the pandas were taking turns going down the slide, sometimes tumbling into one another at the bottom.

Beth laughed, her heart nearly overflowing with love watching Mika jump up and down over the pandas. This, this right here, was what it was all supposed to be about. Life was supposed to be about birthday parties and trips to the zoo and little girls getting excited and jumping up and down. In this moment, times like this, it was a little easier to pretend that walkers didn't exist beyond the fences of the zoo. Beth was thankful for this little slice of sanctuary. The past two years had been filled with such heartache, pain, and regret; it was refreshing to finally find something that felt like home.

She hitched Judy a little higher on her hip trying her best to keep her from getting down as she was twisting to do so. The enclosure was large and Judy had taken to climbing on things, even though she had not yet mastered walking, at least not completely. Her steps were still a little wobbly at times, her footing unsure often landing her on her bottom looking up, surprise etched on her chubby little face. She never cried though. At least hardly ever. She had a bad night last night with some teething and Beth had sat up most of the night rocking her trying to soothe her back to sleep. She yawned at the remembrance of the lack of sleep.

"You and Daryl up late in your new place huh?" Rin teased from beside her and Beth looked to her and rolled her eyes playfully.

"No," she replied, giggling and blushing a little, "Judy's teething something awful. She was up all night. Guess who got to be her slumber party buddy?" Beth quipped and they both laughed, watching as Mika made silly faces at the pandas through the glass enclosure.

"This zoo is about the best thing ever. I used to come here as a kid, you know, before," Rin looked off to the side and it was clear to Beth that she was struggling with a painful memory. "My mom used to bring us here all the time, me and my sister and brother. And my stepdad." The girl was overcome with the past creeping back at her and Beth wanted to reach out to her but she was not sure how she would take it so she just let her continue.

"My stepdad too. I used to bitch at him all the time and talk back," She looked to Beth then and it broke her heart to see the tears shining in the girl's eyes. Suddenly she was kind of glad that Austin and Daryl couldn't accompany them on this trip. She obviously needed to vent and Beth was happy to listen, knowing all too well what it was like to lose those you loved.

"I wish more than anything I could take it all back," her voice broke then and she started sobbing, Mika and the bears oblivious to anything other than the fun they were having. "I want them back. I want my family back," Rin's shoulders shook and she hung her head low and Beth walked over to her, placing her hand on her shoulder.

"They die at the beginning?" Beth asked gently.

Rin shook her head miserably, "I don't know what happened to them. My sister had been sick that day and my mom had stayed at home with her and my baby brother. He was only four then so he wasn't in school yet. He was such a pain in the ass," she chuckled at her private memory. "I was at school when all the bad stuff went down and the Army came in to evacuate everyone," she looked to Beth then. "I never found them. I went back to our house, to my stepdad's work, Emmy's school," Beth supposed Emmy was her sister but didn't want to interrupt her story. Rin seemed to be a private person and mostly deflected her pain with humor. The fact that she was opening up now really was something unexpected and Beth only hoped she had the right words to comfort her.

"But I never found them. Then I came across Austin," Rin's voice trailed off and she looked at Beth. "If it hadn't been for him, I would be dead. Not just because he protects me. I think," Rin seemed to be struggling with something, but Beth was patient.

"I think I love him, Beth," Rin looked to her, misery etched on her features.

"And this is a bad thing?" Beth asked her gently.

"Well, yeah," Rin's tears were still coming and Beth suspected that they had been held in for quite some time. "Because I don't think he loves me back," Rin finished finally, sniffing back her tears.

Beth smiled at her softly then. "Then you must be talkin' 'bout a different Austin." Beth laughed as Rin looked up at her, clearly puzzled. "He adores you Rin. Are you blind?" Beth waved her hand in front of Rin's face and Judy began to mimic Beth's movements and they both laughed.

"No, I can see just fine, thank you. He doesn't like me. I think he likes that girl Monica," Rin said, smoothing her hair back from her forehead, the long tresses having become unruly since they left the other side of the zoo earlier. They had taken one of the golf carts and it was parked nearby. Beth had wanted to walk since the day was so pretty, but Daryl had deemed it unsafe and made her carry her gun just for precaution, he had said.

"They are just friends, I'm sure of it," Beth smiled then.

"How do you know? I saw him talking to her the other day and she was laughing at something he said and it just killed me, ya know? He's so..." Rin looked to Beth helplessly.

"Yeah, he's cute, I see that, if you like the tattooed, tall, dark and handsome type," Beth winked at Rin conspiratorially and Rin laughed.

"He's hot!," Rin said and then clamped her hand over her mouth as if she had let out a secret.

"'t goes without sayin'" Beth laughed. "But seriously if you could see what I see, you'd know he is head over heels for you. It's in the way he looks at you, like he has never seen anything more beautiful." Beth smiled softly at Rin, remembering when she had felt the same way. Not so much the part about him possibly liking someone else, because Daryl had never looked at anyone that she knew of. Until he looked that way at her. Beth smiled at the memory of their early relationship.

"Really? So you mean the way Daryl looks at you then?" Rin nudged her playfully with her elbow and Beth laughed.

"Yep, I guess I do," Beth looked back to the pandas and Mika jumping around and she hoped the little girl could get out some of her energy. She wished again that they had walked, because it sure would be nice for an afternoon nap. At least if the girls got out all their pent up energy, Beth might have a fighting chance at sneaking one in. As it stood now, they would get back at lunch time and there were all sorts of chores that needed doing." Beth sighed.

A familiar sound crept in, getting louder and louder and she realized that it was coming from beyond the woods. Beth stared, shock dropping her jaw open. It was Rick coming out of the woods, carrying a body in his arms, one dripping with blood and Beth was hurled back to that day on the farm, when Rick had carried him before, although now Rick was struggling with the weight of Carl, his body limp in his father's arms. In that split second, Beth was sure that her heart had stopped beating. Carl! She thrust Judy into Rin's arms, the girl looking scared.

"It's okay, I know them. I want you to take Judy and Mika and go get help." Rin was standing there, holding Judy and looking at the scene before her, Rick holding a bleeding and unconscious Carl in his arms.

Beth didn't think, just acted, shaking Rin's shoulders roughly. "Move! Get them back to safety. Daryl and the guys are supposed to be with Isaac back at the Watering Hole. He'll know what to do. I have to help them." Rin nodded and Mika had looked over at Carl and started crying.

"Momma?" Mika called to Beth and her heart broke that she couldn't comfort her now, but precious time was ticking away, every second a threat that Carl wouldn't make it. Was he bit? Beth's blood went cold at the thought of having to put down her friend.

"I love you Mika. Help Rin with Judy. I'll be back before you know it." Beth turned back around and walked towards Rick who had collapsed with the weight of his burden.

Rick looked up at Beth then as she approached him, dropping to her knees where Carl lay in a pool of blood. "What happened?" Beth looked up at Rick who didn't have time to answer as Michonne came limping through the clearing where Rick had just emerged moment. Behind her were three other people, one of them carrying a small form, a little girl with long red hair flowing down from where her head dipped back. Beth could see the telltale mark of a walker bite on her arm and another on her leg. It made her think of her dad when he had gotten bit and they'd had to take his leg. There was no way they'd be able to do that with this girl and not have her bleed out before them. She was just too small, too young.

The man carrying her was sobbing and Beth was having a hard time keeping up with everything happening.

"We were on a truck on our way here and we hit a herd," Rick said between heaving breaths.

Beth looked Carl over trying to find the source of bleeding. "Is he?" but she couldn't finish the sentence. She could not bear the thought of losing another of her family, especially after finding them so soon. Just then, Sasha and Bob came out from the woods on the opposite side, Bob's arm around Sasha as she dragged her leg behind her. They looked like they had been to hell and back and Beth's heart was breaking. Carl. If they lost him, she didn't know if she could take it.

"What the bloody hell? I told you to wait at the gate" Isaac came from around the panda enclosure along with a much taller man with broad shoulders, his hair dark with caked dirt and what looked suspiciously like blood. The stench of walkers hit Beth's nose and she realized that in the time they had been here at the Refuge, she had not had to smell the beyond rotting corpse smell that had become so familiar. She fought down the urge to vomit and her eyes went to Rick's as she found the source of the bleeding on Carl. He had a long gash on his shoulder, about an inch deep, jagged and oozing blood. But it didn't explain why he was unconscious. Isaac looked down at Carl in surprise and noted for the first time that Aslan was standing behind the unknown man taking in the scene before him.

"Well I would have liked ta, but Carl just dropped in front of me. He musta hit his head when that herd hit." Beth kept hearing a gurgling coming from the ground and she leaned down over Carl's lifeless form to listen to his breathing. "That's not it. He can't breathe. His lung's collapsed." She tried to remember all the things she had seen on television and was coming up blank. Bob eased Sasha down onto one of the concrete benches surrounding the panda enclosure before heading over.

"He was fine a few minutes ago," Bob said, ripping Carl's shirt open and leaning down to listen. "She's right. Somebody get me a straw, anything long and narrow and tubular," He looked to them and they all stared back dumbstruck.

Except for Isaac who took off for the back of the panda's home. Beth sat to one side and Bob the other and Beth held Carl's head in her lap, sending a prayer up for him. She didn't know if prayers reached heaven anymore or if they were stopped by the anguish that seemed to hang in the air all around their world now but she did it just the same. She felt relatively okay about him making it until the gurgling ceased and she realized that he had stopped breathing. She moved in a flash and Rick looked at her panicked.

"Carl!" Rick's cry was one of anguish and it threatened to rip Beth's heart from her chest seeing him in this much pain. She checked his chest for signs of movement and when there was none, she checked for a pulse and she felt an icy chill of dread travel down her spine, threatening to overwhelm her but she did what she instinctively knew to do and Bob was beside her at Carl's head.

She looked up at him as she began CPR, positioning her hands just like she remembered from that class she took at the school so long ago. CPR in real life was not like it was on television she thought and wondered why she was thinking such strange thoughts while her friend lay dying. Or maybe he was already dead, and this thought fueled her actions further as she counted out her compressions, feeling like Carl's sternum might break from the force of it. She stopped at thirty and waited as Bob delivered two breaths, sealing his mouth over Carl's, his face pale and his hair falling in his face. It had grown a lot since she had seen him and she was going to need to cut his hair. If he didn't die, that is. Beth fought back sobs and heard voices behind her but she didn't stop.

Isaac came back out from the panda enclosure then waving some sort of long clear tubing in his hands. "Found this," then stopped in his tracks at Beth's feet when he saw that he was too late.

"Keep chest compressions up Beth. Rick, get over here and breathe for him." Bob barked out the orders taking the tubing from Isaac. "I need a knife!" Bob called out to no one in particular. Beth looked up from her compressions to see that it was Daryl handing him his Busse. Bob wasted no time in cutting the tubing into a smaller length. "Water, people, I need water or something! Move!" Bob's voice was urgent and there was no denying that they were running out of time. Carl was running out of time.

Beth pressed on his chest, feeling the fatigue in her arms as she continued her motions, fighting for Carl's life when he couldn't. She caught movements out of the corner of her eye as Bob took a water bottle and poured it over the tip of the knife and then wiped it on a clean spot of Carl's shirt.

He looked to the right side of Carl's chest and made an incision in between his ribs, blood pouring forth. "Okay, Beth, sit back for a minute". Beth nodded to him and watched on in amazement as he thrust the tube into the hole he had created.

They waited what seemed like an eternity, an infinity, for something to happen, anything besides the anguish they were all feeling. Rick was sitting at Carl's head and Beth knew she heard a collective sigh of relief as Carl gasped for air and began to cough and sputter immediately, even if he was still unconscious.

Bob watched his chest for a bit and looked up to Beth who was now crying openly, Daryl's hands on her shoulders. "You did good Beth, real good." Beth looked up at him and gave him a somewhat watery smile. Carl sputtered then and opened his eyes and Beth's tears started all over again, as did Rick's.

"What happened," Carl's voice was barely more than a whisper, hoarse with the effort of trying to breathe and talk at the same time.

"Don't try to talk, son" Rick said, smoothing his hand over his hair and ignored the way Carl flinched away from him. It had been like this for a while now, ever since Joe and his guys had nearly ended them all. They had managed to kill them all, but they did not come away unscathed at least not emotionally. What had almost happened to Carl, what Rick had done to protect him, sat like a weight between them, threatening to crush them both.

Daryl looked over to the other group of people who were watching in silence, their expressions filled with grief. A woman was sitting and rocking the little girl back and forth in her arms. He looked down and Beth who was staring up at him, her face wet with tears. He pulled her to her feet and into his arms, pressing a kiss to her the side of her head, thankful that it was not her that was injured or bitten. He felt instantly guilty, thinking how awful it was he was glad it was Carl injured and not Beth. He loved his whole family. He did. But if anything happened to Beth he didn't know if he would have the strength to go on.

The man with Isaac drove one of the golf carts over to where they were sitting and they began to load Carl onto the back of it, careful of his injury and leaving the tubing hanging from his chest. Bob had explained that his lung needed to reinflate. Bob was hoping if they left it in for a couple of days, his lung might heal on its own. Carl looked like he was in a tremendous amount of pain. Isaac was prattling on about how they had all the medical supplies back at their base camp on the other side of the zoo. Isaac looked over at the couple with the small child, now unmoving and eyes staring up at the sky.

"You'll have to bring her with me, I'll take you to the place where she can be buried," Isaac motioned for them to follow him and the man stood and helped the woman up.

Daryl would later learn that they were Tom and Sally and they had found them on the side of the road on the way to The Refuge. When the truck they had been riding in had hit the herd of walkers, Carl and Annie, the little girl, had gone tumbling from the truck. That was evidently when Carl had sustained his injuries and Annie had been bitten by a walker. They had loaded her onto the truck and continued on their journey, the driver, Martin, assuring them that the safe haven was only a few minutes away. Daryl deduced that must be the other guy with them.

Sally looked up from where she was holding the little girl. "She wasn't even ours, but we loved her like she was," the woman said then, her voice thick with tears and Beth's heart broke. If anything happened to Mika, she would feel the loss as if it was her own child. Judy too and then she realized that Rick might not know that Judith had been there with Mika just before she sent them back. He had been distraught and wracked with grief. She kept silent for now in respect for the couple. She wondered how Rick was going to react to seeing Judith again.

Once the couple and Annie were loaded onto one of the trucks that were parked near the panda enclosure, they all dispersed to their separate trucks and Beth decided to sit on the information that Judy was alive and well until they reached the Watering Hole. She decided that seeing was believing and Rick really looked like he needed something good to hold onto right now. She didn't know what had happened to them out on the road, but she knew it was bad. Maybe even the worst they had seen so far and that was certainly saying something. As they rode back on the golf cart, Beth leaned her head on Daryl's shoulder, while Michonne looked on curiously from beside them.

"When did this happen?" she looked extremely amused.

"We got out together," Daryl spoke up and Beth looked at him in surprise. She had been expecting that she was going to be the one answering all the questions where their relationship was concerned.

Michonne just nodded and winked at both of them. "I approve." She said and grinned.

The rest of the ride was spent in silence. Beth, for one, was reflecting on the moments leading up to Carl almost dying and she was so glad that they were safe within these walls. The world out there was cruel, harsh, unforgiving and since it had all gone to hell, it had become unbearably inhumane.

When they got back to the main part of the zoo, Beth searched the table area for Rick. Bob had everyone rushing about as they set up a makeshift recovery room in the conference room behind the stores. Carl was stable and Bob had fashioned his make-shift chest tube and attached a crude drainage system to it warning that Carl didn't need to move a muscle unless absolutely necessary. They were all gathered now, together, some of them whispering lost in their own conversations.

Sasha and Tyreese had ran towards each other, Sasha limping for the most part and Tyreese gaining on her in an instant and pulling her up into his arms for a big hug. They had all cried watching that. Beth had then quietly sent Maggie, who had been stunned to see everyone back together again, to her and Daryl's place to get Rin, Mika and Judith.

"Rick," Beth began. "I have to tell you. I tried to get back to Judy, I really did. But I couldn't" Beth's voice faltered then at the memory and looked to him to see the pain washing over his features. Thankfully Beth didn't have to explain the true meaning of her words as Mika came bounding up then.

"Is Carl okay?" Mika's worried little face tugged at Beth's heart and she walked over to her and pulled her close to her side. Daryl was standing behind Beth and reached down and scooped Mika up into his arms. "He's fine sweetheart". He kissed the top of her head and she nuzzled his neck. "I'm so glad. I don't want anyone else to die, Daryl." Daryl looked over the top of her head to Beth, who was gazing up at him as well.

I'm tired of losing people.

Daryl knew Beth was thinking the same thing and he was glad they could read each other so well.

Sasha gasped from beside Tyreese who let out a shout and they all turned to see that Rin was heading down the hill, Austin lagging slightly behind her and Judith on her hip.

The cry that came from Rick then was unlike anything Daryl had ever heard come from the man. It came from deep in his gut and Daryl teared up, watching his friend, his brother, break down over seeing his little girl again. He held Mika a little tighter and leaned down to press a quick kiss to Beth's cheek. She smiled up at him, her eyes shining with tears, watching the scene unfold.

Rick got up from where he was sitting and ran over to Rin, who held Judith out to him. Maggie had evidently told her the whole story. They were all silent as Rick took Judith into his arms and sobbed. "You're alive!" he exclaimed and his shoulders shook with his cries. Judith never let out a single peep and just seemed to absorb his grief. The little girl had always been good about that, seeming to be an emotional buffer for the group and accepting the job with ease.

"Who?" Rick looked up, clearly wanting to know who was responsible for getting her out alive.

"I got her, Mika and Lizzie out. We were alone until Carol found us." Rick looked around, thinking he must have missed something.

Tyreese shook his head sadly. "Lizzie didn't make it" He left it at that.

"And Carol?" Rick held his breath as he waited for an answer. After the fall of the prison, he felt bad about casting Carol out. He hadn't thought much about it since then. He had done what he needed to do at the time, for the good of the group.

"Carol is with us. But she's not really the same anymore. She's up at the dorms. Won't come out." Beth explained and Rick just nodded at her. He noticed then the body language between Daryl and Beth and the way they seemed to have taken over care of Mika. He looked to Daryl and they exchanged a look. Now wasn't the time but he would find out later. That's the way it had always been with the two of them.

The group all sat back and eyed one another then. They were back together. After all they had been through, their family was reunited. All of them. Except for all those that left on the bus. Beth would be sad about that the rest of her life, but she was thankful right now that her friend was not dead. At least not yet. She looked at Bob warily. "Is he going to be okay?" Rick had sat back on his heels then, looking relieved but there was something else in his eyes, a tether that held the sorrow in place, not like when Lori had died, though that had been awful enough. She wondered what had happened to them out on the road and she was infinitely grateful that she and Daryl had managed on their own as well as they had.

It was decided that Rick would stay in the conference room turned hospital room with Carl that night and Judith would go back with Daryl and Beth like usual. Once Carl was recovered, they could work out other arrangements. Judy would need some time to adjust to having her dad and brother back anyway, though Beth suspected it wouldn't take long. Beth stood up to leave their group. It had been a long day and she needed to get Judith and Mika in the bed.

"I'm gonna go get the girls ready for bed, Daryl." She leaned down to whisper where he was sitting with Rick.

He looked up at her then, thinking how lucky he really was. "'kay Princess, I'll be up shortly," Beth pressed her lips to his, the barest hint of a kiss and she looked to Rick shyly and smiled. "Good to have you back Rick," He smiled back and for the first time since they had all been reunited, the smile actually reached his eyes.

Rick reached up to run a hand over Judy's head, her soft downy blonde hair wisping about everywhere. "She looks like Lori," he breathed.

Daryl looked over at his friend after Beth walked away with the girls. He watched as Beth walked up the hill and then looked back to Rick, knowing he was going to have to explain. The rest of the group had dispersed and it was just him and Rick, sitting there watching Carl sleep.

"So how long this been going on with you and Beth?" Rick looked at him carefully. Daryl was different. The changes were subtle but decidedly present.

"We got out together," He said, now that it was just the two of them. "It just happened. Didn't want it to at first. But she convinced me otherwise," Daryl said, smirking at the memory.

Rick chuckled beside him, "Oh yeah, you didn't have a chance then. Once those Greene girls make up their mind about somethin', you're done for," he smiled over at him. There was a long moment of silence. "It's obvious you love each other, I'm glad you were able to find that in one another. I never would have thought about the two of you, but it-" Rick searched for the right word. "It just suits you. You and her. You seem happy." Rick looked at the other man and was genuinely happy for him. His life had been shit and he deserved something good to happen for a change.

Hershel's words echoed in his head.

_You came back. Your boy came back. You get to come back. You do. Some people are too far gone. You're not._

Those words could be true now but Rick wasn't so sure. Looking at Daryl he knew he still had a chance. Whatever it was with Beth, it had changed him. He didn't seem like the dark, damaged man he used to be. "I'm glad we are all back together again," Rick said.

"It's good to have you back. You're a good friend Rick," Daryl said and it was the most he had ever said to him regarding their easy relationship.

"You're more 'an that, Daryl. You're my family," He looked at Daryl pointedly. _"You're my brother."_

Daryl took in a deep breath and felt his heart swell again and put his hand on Rick's shoulder, squeezing lightly. It was all he could manage trying to swallow past the lump in his throat. He'd had a brother. Merle had been his blood brother but the relationship he shared with Rick was more than that.

He thought of Beth waiting for him up at their place and he stood to go. "I'm gonna go see if Beth needs help getting the girls down. I don't get much of a chance to do that". Daryl had been given the night off from watch in light of the events of the day.

"You're a family man now, huh?" Rick looked up at him, the teasing glint reflected in his eyes.

Daryl looked down at him and smirked. "Yeah, guess I am." He shrugged.

Daryl didn't think he'd ever felt his heart fuller than that moment. They were all back together and he felt they could face anything together long as they had each other. They were family. And that was something Daryl had never had before. Now that he had it, he would do everything in his power to protect that. Whatever it took, they were not getting separated again. Not as long as he drew breath. Never again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! What did you guys think of the surprise reunion?


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beth tries to pull Carol back from her dark place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made a note on the new fic I posted "Love in an Elevator" but I wanted to address briefly here the stupidity was saw on our screens almost two weeks ago. It feels like forever. I have to hope that they didn't really mess up that bad because it was the worst writing ever. Seriously a spider could write that plot better. So here's a fic to keep us in Bethyl land until they fix this atrocious mess.

A/N: TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter deals heavily with depression and suicide. Please be warned. If this is a trigger for you, please do not read. Entertainment is one thing but your health is WAY MORE IMPORTANT.

 

Daryl woke up the next morning to the very rare thing that had come to exist in his and Beth's life together. Silence. Just the soft adorable sighs from his beautiful wife-to-be. He looked at the sky through the high windows in the dorm. It looked like it was just prior to dawn. Judy would be waking up soon. Since she went to bed relatively early, she was also an early riser.

He reached up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and moved his hand to her hip where the sheet had ridden down in her sleep. She was a very restless sleeper, his Beth. He placed his hand against her skin, feeling the warmth and wanting to curl his arms around her and sleep on and off all day. Maybe a little love-making thrown in here and there. Maybe a lot, he thought, as he felt his dick coming awake or maybe it was him coming awake enough to be aware of it. He didn't know. All he knew was that he wanted her. He stroked his thumb against her hip, dipping into the hollow just above the waistband of those damned black silk panties and felt her stir and he grinned as he leaned over her and pressed soft, open-mouthed kisses to the side of her neck.

Beth stretched from beside him, slightly beneath him and arched her back and he heard a moan from deep in her throat as he kissed his way down her neck, moving back up her jaw-line, licking and teasing as he went, before finally sealing his lips over hers and found her mouth already open and waiting as she turned towards him and wound her arms around him and tangled her fingers in his hair, the pressure on the back of his head insistent, welcome. His dick was pulsating with the need to bury himself inside of her.

Her breathing was coming faster as he moved his fingers lower, into the waistband of her panties, really wanting to just rip them off her and have his way but loving this song and dance that had become their lovemaking routine just the same. Beth had thrown her head back as he had just skimmed his fingers over the top of her sex.

"Momma?" There was a jiggle of the doorknob to their room and then it was suddenly flung open, Mika carrying Judith into the room.

Daryl groaned and collapsed against Beth's chest as she laughed uncontrollably. Cock-blocked by his own daughter, he thought and that was the most sobering thought he could have ever had.

The way his brain worked here lately, since he had been with Beth, sometimes astounded him and sometimes it made perfect sense. Right now it was the latter and he didn't know why he had been too stubborn to acknowledge it before. He gathered his composure, what dignity he had left and sat up, careful to keep him and Beth covered up. Though their clothing was modest, their appearance most definitely wasn't and he didn't want to scar the girls for life.

"Come 'ere, Mika and bring Judy over here." Daryl said and the little girl happily complied, bouncing Judith on her hip and the littlest girl tumbled onto the bed as they both reached it.

Beth laughed at the impossibility of the situation. It was a great way to wake up but she almost felt sorry for Daryl leaving him like that. She grinned in his direction, watching as he took Judith into his arms and made room for Mika beside him, putting his arm around her. She would continually be amazed at this man the way he surprised her every day.

"You ain't had an easy time 'o things, have you Mika?" Daryl looked down at her and she looked back up at him, her brown eyes, trusting and curious.

She nodded her head. "Yeah, I guess. But it's been hard on all of us. 'Specially Carol," she responded looking to Beth who nodded at her reassuringly.

"She'll be okay, sweetheart," Beth said to her, moving closer so she could put an arm around the little girl, letting her know that it was okay to talk about her feelings but wanting to reassure her at the same time. It was a precarious situation to be in to not be able to give your children the assurances that everything would be okay and mean it with any relative certainty.

Daryl looked over at Beth and she looked at him quizzically and he took a deep breath then and she could tell he was struggling with something, much like he had when he had been trying to tell her he loved her, like he had been trying to tell her that she was what changed his mind. That she, Beth Greene, had changed Daryl Dixon's way of thinking.

"I didn't have it easy either, when I was your age, believe it or not," Daryl fought the urge to look away from them, his family, while he laid his heart wide open. "I was thinking, if you want, and you don't havta, but I know you call Beth Momma. And you like that right? Because she is your momma now." He looked down at the little girl who was looking up at him intently and he saw her register what he was saying in her face. She smiled brightly at him.

"Kinda like you're my Daddy, Daryl." Mika said. "But if you don't want me to call you that, I won't." She said and looked down at her hands in her lap.

Judith was babbling from beside them and Lucky was lazing by the bed, like he always was. "That's what I was tryin' to say, darlin'. That if you want to, ya can." He looked at her and she just leaned in and grabbed him around the waist. He met Beth's eyes over Mika's head and her eyes were bright with tears.

"Daryl Dixon, you amaze me," she said the tears falling freely now and for the life of him, he'd never get women and the way their tears came on in the most unlikely moments, but it was her, it was Beth and he couldn't fault her for it.

"Thanks, Daryl, or Daddy," Mika looked up at him again and said in the sweetest voice, "maybe I can call you Daddy Daryl? It kinda sounds right." She said and he grinned at her and placed a kiss on the top of her head and then Judith's head as well.

"Darlin, you can call me whatever you want. That was kinda the point 'o this conversation." He said. "Now ladies, if you'll excuse me, I don't get to laze about in bed all day. A man's gotta get his work done." He looked at Beth and moved off the bed quickly, narrowly missing her swatting his ass for his smart remark, spouting women's rights and liberal times and the fact that none of it mattered since it was the end of the freaking world. He chuckled at her as he pulled on his pants and boots and turned back around, bending to kiss all his girls on the head before leaving the room. He wanted to go check on Rick and Carl and see what needed to be done today before the day got away from them as it usually did.

"Bye, Daddy Daryl," Mika called out.

"Ba-ba-ba-ba," Judith called out, clearly mimicking Mika.

"Yeah, Bye Daddy," Beth said and he turned to look at her, watching her give him that saucy little grin of hers. Daddy indeed, he thought as he walked out the door, shaking his head and thinking with a smirk that he was going to have to make sure she paid for that remark later.

Beth settled the girls in with Rin while she went up to check on Carol. She decided to stop by on her way to the commons first and see if she was even up to eating. She walked the steps, thinking that Carol was lucky that they were all so willing to come and check on her all the time like this. Any other community would just ignore her and she'd waste away to nothing. It made Beth think all of the sudden of her brief descent into deep depression before she had tried to end her life. It wasn't the first time that she had thought this, but new realization dawned on her that they were doing the worst thing possible; they were enabling her behavior. As Beth reached the top of the steps and stood outside Carol's door, she knocked with a firm determination before twisting the doorknob. It only entered her mind after she opened the door to pull out her knife but by then it would have been too late anyway. Carol was curled up in her bed and Beth stalked over to her and shook her awake. The more she thought about it, the more incensed she became at Carol's lack of concern for her family members and the fact that she had abandoned Mika when she needed her the most.

"Wake up, we need to talk," Beth sat down on the bed beside Carol, adjusting her holster to allow her knife clearance of the mattress.

Carol moved back a ways and propped herself on the headboard and it was more than Beth had hoped for.

"You're going to leave this room today and you're going to get back out there. Or not. The choice is yours. But I'm done coming up here and checking on you.," She looked at Carol and tried not to see the broken woman that she was in order to get out what needed to be said. Because if didn't say it, she was afraid the woman was going to slip right on over that ledge she was hanging off right now.

Carol looked at her with unwavering resolve and stoicism.

"I'm not playin' Carol and I'll make sure no one else comes up here either. You're in here day in and day out. You don't eat. You don't get up. You're wasting away. In case you didn't get the memo, the world fuckin' ended," Carol looked up at her sharply and her response, spurred her on. "And you don't get to just lay here and pretend like it doesn't matter. That we don't matter just because the goin' got a little bit tough. We've all had bad stuff happen. Don't mean we give up. Unless that's what you want. But I'm not going to help you get there slowly. You either wanna die or you wanna live. You don't get to be in limbo." She looked at Carol then who nodded her head so she sat back letting what she had said really sink in.

She knew she had been hard on her and she felt bad for it, but it was necessary to bring her out of it. Everyone had been mad at Andrea for doing what she did when she was at the end of her rope like this. But honestly Andrea had been right. Beth had made her choice. Now it was time for Carol to make hers. She got up to walk to the door and paused before opening it to give Carol time to speak if that's what she wanted. Beth shook her head sadly and opened the door, walking through it and closing it behind her, feeling like she had just closed a door on her heart. She and Carol had always been close before and she hated that there was this deep chasm between them. But in the end, Beth knew that she had to trust that their bond was strong enough.

She went downstairs and retrieved the girls and she and Rin met Austin for breakfast. She checked in on Carl and saw that he was still sleeping. A kid about 15, Kyle she thought was his name, was keeping watch over him, just in case. Beth hated to think in those terms but it was what had to be done, making sure no one died. Making sure no one turned, starting over the nightmare that had made them so cautious in the first place.

She headed back up the hill to the dorm and as she approached the door again, she pulled her Busse out of the sheath, just in case Carol had found some means of doing just what Beth had implied. When Beth eased the door open, she was infinitely relieved to find that Carol was sitting cross-legged on the bed, as if she were waiting for Beth to return.

Beth smiled at her softly and Carol began to cry. Beth didn't waste time in re-sheathing her knife and sitting down beside the woman and pulling her against her shoulder, just letting her cry.

After a while, the sobs settled down to sniffles and Carol sat back up and looked at Beth warily. "I lost her. I lost my Sophia. And then everything happened and then I was in charge of Mika and Lizzie and I hated that I had to do it but Lizzie was definitely my fault. I managed to get both of them killed, either directly or indirectly. "

"You got Judith. You kept her alive," Carol shook her head and Beth nodded emphatically, patting Carol's leg. "You did," she insisted, her voice soft but firm. "You brought her back here and gave her to me and then last night, I got to give her to her Daddy," Beth looked at Carol who suddenly looked terrified.

"It's okay, Carol. A lot has happened since the prison. I don't think anyone understands why you did what you did. But you had your reasons. Daddy would say we all make mistakes. Especially in this world we live in now. You did what you thought you had to do. If it's wrong, then you have to accept it as a mistake, learn from it, and move on. You can't get mired down in all the bad or else you miss out on what little bit of good there is left."

Carol looked at her thoughtfully and gave a little laugh. "You're so much like your father, Beth. Sometimes it's like he is speaking from the grave when you open your mouth." She smiled at her and reached over and squeezed Beth's hand.

"I didn't understand it," Carol began. "Not really anyway. I mean I got why you wanted to kill yourself. But even then, I wasn't strong enough. People think it's the easy way out, suicide. And I used to think that you were so weak when you did that. Now I know that it's the opposite," Carol looked at Beth and laughed mirthfully, the tears coming unbidden down her face.

Beth squeezed her hand in encouragement and Carol continued. "Now I know that you were strong all along Beth. I saw it then but I really see it now. You were strong then for knowing, even at that young age, that you weren't sure if you wanted to live in this kind of world we live in. And knowing that you could do something about it. You're strong Beth. You were born that way. I had to gain my strength. And I'm not the same woman I was when I was with Ed Peletier," She said, wiping the tears away furiously.

"That's what scares me, because I am strong enough now. And you gave me a lot to think about earlier. I do want to live but I don't know how." Carol said, looking at Beth, imploring her to understand.

"You do it by getting up out of this bed. And joining the living." Beth smiled at her gently.

"But what about Rick?" Carol looked like she knew her arguments were wearing thin now.

"Honestly I think Rick isn't even thinking about it right now. So much has happened. It was real bad on them out on the road. They haven't said yet, but I get the feelin' I don't wanna know." Beth looked at her then. She didn't tell her about Carl getting hurt. She didn't want to completely overwhelm her, just tried to give her the essential pieces so she could make a sound decision. "You just gotta get up out of this bed, Carol. And come back to us. Or else you're no better than one of them." Beth gestured to the window and she knew Carol understood that she wasn't talking about the people that they lived with but rather the ones that roamed outside the fences of the zoo, the dead ones that walked about seeking to devour whatever flesh they could find.

Carol hugged Beth to her side then. "And there's one more thing Carol." Beth pulled away to look at Carol again.

"What's that, Beth?" Carol asked her.

"Take a damn shower, because, no offense. You stink!" Beth leaned away as Carol swatted at her arm and then turned to Beth, looking serious. "Thank you, sweetie. Love you."

Beth felt her own eyes fill with tears at the older woman's tenderness. "Love you too. And I'd like to think you'd do the same for me." Beth smiled at her and Carol smiled back.

Beth left there with promises to see Carol at suppertime at the commons. In the meantime, Beth set out to find Rick and see if she could smooth the situation over for Carol. She didn't think she had anything to worry about but she had to make certain.

On her way down, she passed Daryl coming back up the hill towards their apartment. Rin had Judith and Mika waiting down at the commons for lunch.

"There you are," He said, scooping her up in his arms and off of her feet, pressing his lips to hers.

Beth would never get used to moments like this. Daryl making grand gestures and surprising her at every turn. She pulled away as he let her slide back down to the ground, planting her feet firmly on the ground even if it felt like her head was still somewhere up in the clouds with his kisses.

"What you did this mornin' was amazin', Daryl." She remarked as she stood there, hands between them, her fingers splayed out over his chest.

Daryl looked down at her, "That little girl has been through too much. Seen too much sadness. I ain't gonna be the one to stand in the way of her happiness. If callin' me that is what makes her happy, then so be it. 'Sides, I guess I am sorta her dad." He shrugged his shoulders noncommittally and Beth's heart constricted at the movement. Always with his doubt that made her heart ache in ways she never thought possible.

"Daryl, 'course you are. You provide for her, for me, have for Judy til her Daddy came back. You keep us safe. Make sure we have what we need. You tuck her in at night. And Daryl, I seen the way you are with her. You love her, much as I do." Beth finished, looking at him softly waiting for him to come to terms with what she was saying in his own way, as he always did.

Daryl looked at the sidewalk and back at Beth again and she saw the pain there. "I see so much of myself in her. She's broken in a way. And I hate it. I want to put that smile back on her face. I want to make her world safe again. The way my old man never could make it for me. I just hope I can be half the man you want me to be. A good husband, good father to Mika, good father to our kids should it ever come to pass." Daryl looked at her pointedly then.

Beth stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his firmly, putting her arms all the way around his waist. "You are already the man you were supposed to be. I'm just here for the ride, baby," she said finally. "You're going to be a great father, even if it's only Mika that calls you Daddy. Or Daddy Daryl," They both chuckled. The reality of it was that though Beth wanted kids more than anything in the world, to have a little piece of her and him to hold and to love, it just wasn't practical. Not right now anyway. For now, she would pour all her love into Mika and Judith.

"Just because Rick's back don't mean Judy isn't gonna need you. That little girl loves you." She looked at him and he nodded thoughtfully and nodded back up to the hill.

"What about Carol? What are we gonna do about her and Rick?" Daryl winced thinking of the showdown that was likely to occur.

"Yeah that reminds me, I think I finally got through to her. To Carol. She's coming to supper." Beth beamed up at him, giving him her blinding smile. The one that never failed to steal his breath.

"Really? And how did ya manage that?" He said, taking her hand as they walked back down the hill together towards the commons, towards the rest of their family.

"You know me, I'm stubborn when I set my mind to something." Beth said looking at him sideways and watching him chuckle softly.

"Don't I know it, woman." He laughed outright then and she loved when he did that. "I love you, Beth." He said suddenly and it stole the air right from her lungs, him saying it so casually, as they walked along, and yet with such intensity.

"I love you too, baby," she smiled at him. "You sure are in a good mood, today," She remarked, looking at him sideways as they made their way around the bend, the commons now in full view.

"Sure I am. It's good to have Rick and 'em back with us again." He looked at Beth and she smiled back. She knew the relationship that he and Rick had was special.

They heard a sudden shouting and crying coming from the back of the commons where Carl was recuperating. Daryl's blood iced over in that moment and he hoisted his bow up at the ready, he and Beth making a run to find the source of the sound.

Beth's heart was gripped with nearly paralyzing fear at what they were going to find when they reached the make-shift hospital room. From the sounds of it, someone was crying like they were wounded. She hoped and prayed that Carl was okay and he wasn't…wasn't. She couldn't finish the thought, not able to think about what the screams could mean.

They rounded the corner and stood in the doorway, watching as a very exasperated Bob stood over Carl who was clutching Judith to him and sobbing. "You're alive. Judy, you're alive." He sobbed into her hair and Judith with her ever-calming way, just patted Carl's arm gently and leaned into him as if understanding that this was a very important moment and going along with it.

Rick stood back and watched his children reuniting and felt the tears rolling down his face and it was the lightest moment he had experienced since he and Carl had hobbled away from the prison, thinking the worst. That Judith hadn't made it and their worst fears had come to light.

Daryl walked over to Rick then and clapped his hand on his shoulder and Rick put his arm around him. Beth came and stood beside Daryl and he pulled her close. It was a tender moment for all of them. Even Bob stood back and smiled, finally seeming satisfied that Carl hadn't done any real damage with his emotional outburst.

Daryl looked around at the lot of them, this group he had come to love so much. They were back together again. Their family was together and it was important to celebrate these moments. The way the world was now, it wasn't so much of the last man standing anymore. It was who was standing together at the end of the day. He looked over at Beth and met her lips in a soft kiss. For now, Daryl reveled in the perfect moment. They didn't happen often so for right now, he was going to bask in the fact that he had this. His family was all back together. It was more than he ever hoped for. It was all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did you guys think? I know it was kind of heavy but poor Carol needed some help.


	26. Chapter 26

Daryl approached Carol from where she sat in the commons area. Rick had already had a chance to speak with her and while it had been a tense first meeting, by the end they had seemed to come to an understanding. Daryl had felt a tug on his heartstrings when Carol had broken down in front of Rick and told him how sorry she was. While Rick hadn't condoned what she did, he had let her know that the only thing they could focus on now was that their family being back together. Rick had hugged her then and told her how much he appreciated her bringing Judy back to him. Even Daryl had gotten misty-eyed watching the tender moment between the two of them.

As they separated, Daryl walked up to Carol and looked to Rick first. "I need to talk to you in a minute if you got a chance," Daryl said to his friend.

Rick nodded, "Sure thing, Daryl. I'm gonna go check on Carl. I'll be there if you need me." Rick clapped Daryl on the back and made his way to the room that held Carl. He was making steady improvement according to Bob.

Daryl looked down at Carol who was studying him carefully. "What's on your mind?" Carol looked up at him and in looking in her eyes, he noted that it was no longer the same Carol from the prison he was talking to. He had heard the story of what she had to do to Lizzie and he knew it couldn't have been easy on her. Hell, Daryl figured he was the most hard-ass person anyone knew and he wasn't sure even he could have done what she did. He sat down next to her and straddled the bench facing her.

"'M glad you came out of that room," He said, kind of uncertain about how to start the conversation but knowing that they needed to clear the air between them.

"Me too. I have Beth to thank. She's a very special person." She smiled at Daryl then, finishing, "But I suspect you probably know that better than most, huh." She winked at him and that was enough to break the ice for Daryl. He could sit and talk all day about Beth and what a rare person she was.

He nodded slightly, "She's somethin' alright." His lips upturned in an involuntary smile.

"She makes you happy." She said, smiling softly at him.

"She really does," he looked at her sheepishly then. "Listen I don't really wanna talk 'bout what happened before. I know you already went through all that with Rick and it ain't necessary to rehash it all," Daryl said carefully. "I just wanted you ta know we're all glad you're back with us." Daryl looked at her and she had tears welling up in her eyes, but her eyes didn't look sad at the moment. He figured they must be happy tears. God knew he had enough experience from Beth on that front. Females and their emotions were not something he understood completely but he was getting better at it.

Carol reached out then to hug him and impulsively and he hugged her back. He knew things would never really be the same with her again but he was glad that they had at least cleared the air a bit.

Pulling away, he smiled at her then. "I gotta go run somethin' by Rick, but I'll catch ya in the mornin' at breakfast," he stated and she nodded at him.

He knocked on the doorway right outside the room where Carl lay. Rick turned to look at him and put his finger to his mouth and Daryl nodded. Carl had fallen asleep again. Rick got up and followed Daryl out of the room and they found a table back out in the courtyard.

"He seems to be doin' better," Daryl remarked.

Rick nodded his head, "Yeah, I'm grateful for it. I hadn't had a chance to thank Beth yet for takin' such good care of Judy. Where is she?" He asked.

"Ah, she headed up to our apartment, getting the girls ready for bed," Daryl replied. "I'll tell her you asked after her," and Rick just nodded his head, looking at Daryl thoughtfully.

Daryl balked for a minute about what he was about to ask him, but decided to just plunge ahead. They had killed what seemed like a world full of walkers together, lead their family to safety multiple times and Daryl thought it shouldn't be that hard to ask a guy to be his best man. "Me an' Beth are gettin' married soon," He began and Rick just nodded at him again, his expression warm and understanding.

"Yeah, I heard that. It's great you two found what you did in each other," Rick said, encouraging Daryl to continue and get whatever it was off his mind.

"I ain't never had a family before, but you're about the closest thing I got and I was wonderin' would you maybe stand up with me that day," Daryl moved his thumb up to his mouth and began to chew on the tip absently.

"'Course I will," Rick said. "I get it. You've been there for me more an' anyone else. We've been through a lot together. I'd be honored, Daryl." Rick said, reaching out and clasping Daryl's shoulder. "'M happy for you."

Daryl felt the corners of his mouth turn up, "Thanks, man. I don't even know when it's gonna be yet. You don't know how much I appreciate it." Daryl looked at him and tried to say what he was thinking, knowing that Rick understood Daryl's silent communication probably better than anyone, besides Beth of course.

"Wouldn't have it any other way. You're not just my friend Daryl," Rick paused as if searching for the right words, saying finally, "You're my brother." Daryl looked at him for a long minute, surprised that he willingly defined what they were to one another, and just nodded unable to swallow past the lump in his throat.

It was true. He did view Rick as his brother. His own brother, God rest his soul, had his faults and they hadn't gotten along much but once he and Rick had gotten past their initial differences, it had become apparent that they shared a common bond. They clashed at first because they were so much alike. Once they got past that, it was smooth sailing, each complementing the other in leadership skills. Daryl was proud that Rick thought so highly of him.

"Thanks, man, I'll let ya know soon as the women folk tell me, about it," Daryl said.

"Hey just the two men I wanted to see," Beth said as she pressed a kiss to Rick's cheek and to Daryl's lips and hoisted herself up onto the table, sitting on the slab of concrete, dangling her feet off the side.

"Hey, Beth," Rick said, "We was just talking about you." He said and she raised her eyebrows.

"I knew there was a reason my ears were burnin'," she teased and Daryl placed a hand on her thigh.

Daryl watched her, wondering what it was she could have to see the two of them about. "Did ya ask him yet?" Beth looked back and forth between the two of them, two of the three most important men in her life, the last being Daryl, who nodded his head.

Beth beamed at Rick, "Well don't kill me," she began, "but I got a question of my own." She looked at Rick and he was smiling at her.

"Ask away, I'll pretty much say yes to anythin'," Rick said jovially, "you been takin' such good care of Judy. I can't believe she's walkin' now," Rick shook his head.

"I'm happy to do it. I love that little girl so much," Daryl noted her smile went all the way to her eyes when she spoke of Little Ass Kicker. "I came to ask you if you'd walk me down the aisle. I always dreamed of Daddy doing it, but since he's not here, I know he'd like you to be the one to do it." Beth said.

Rick looked at Beth and smiled at her, feeling his eyes getting a little misty. That she would entrust one of the most important days of her life to him touched him beyond words. "Of course I will, Beth. I'd be honored. Your father was a good man." He looked to Daryl then. "I think he would have really liked the idea of the two of you together," Rick said thoughtfully, looking back and forth between the two of them.

In that moment, you could have knocked Daryl over with a feather. He valued Rick's opinion more than any other man he'd ever known in his life. So for Rick to say something like that validated everything that everyone had been trying to tell him about how Hershel would feel about his little girl bein' with someone the likes of Daryl Dixon. A redneck nobody.

Daryl just nodded and Rick understood why he couldn't say anything. He was a man of few words although he couldn't help but notice that since the prison he'd opened up a lot more. He was willing to bet that it was all due to the love of a good woman.

"When is the wedding?" Rick asked.

"Funny you should ask. That's the other thing. I was hoping we could do it tomorrow. Bob said we can make a make-shift cot for Carl out here in the courtyard. Do it right here in the open." She hesitantly met Daryl's eyes and he smiled at her.

"So tomorrow huh?" He said and he felt his mouth go dry. They had already talked about it. Talked it to death, but now that it was upon him he couldn't help but be nervous. Still, he knew that a life with Beth was what he wanted more than anything, so nerves or not, he was going to have to get over it.

"Sounds good to me," he finally replied and her face lit up in a blinding smile.

And that was worth it all to Daryl. He figured he'd agree to anything as long as she shot that smile back his way.

She leaned over and pressed her lips to his. "We're getting married tomorrow baby. It's all set up. Rin's uncle is gonna do the ceremony before lunch. Then lunch can be our reception."

Rick got up from the table, "Well looks like I better go see what I can find to wear tomorrow."

"Maggie and Glenn are taking care of that," She dismissed it. "All you have to do is show up." She informed Rick, smiling prissily.

Rick smiled at her and Daryl both. He could not imagine two people more perfect for each other which was kind of strange because back at the prison he would have never been able to reconcile these two with one another, but it just made sense. "Congrats again you two. I'm gonna go back in and sit with Carl for a bit. I should be ready to take Judy back tomorrow night." He looked pointedly at Daryl then and chuckled lightly.

"Pshh," Daryl said, his face flushing as he caught Rick's meaning. Their wedding night. He looked sharply at Beth who seemed pretty unaffected by the whole thing.

"G'night, you two," Rick called out as he made his way back to Carl.

Daryl turned on the bench and Beth parted her knees and Daryl reached up and placed on hand on each knee. "So tomorrow then. Wait. What about rings?" Daryl had given her the pebble but she couldn't exactly wear that on her finger.

Beth waggled her eyebrows at him. "Thought you'd never ask." She said, smiling coyly. He knew that look. She was up to something.

She motioned for him to get up. He obliged and watched as she jumped down from the table edge. "Follow me", she said softly.

She led him to the side of the group of buildings and he followed her through a side door leading to one of the gift shops. She produced a set of keys from the pocket of her jeans. Sometimes he didn't know how she fit anything in her pocket at all, her pants were so tight. But he had to admit he didn't mind a bit. If wearing those jeans made her happy and he got to stare at her cute ass in them all day, then all the better in his mind.

She closed the door, locking it behind them and she got out a flashlight and walked over to where the cash register sat on the glass countertop, dusty and dirty.

She shone the flashlight down into the case and Daryl saw a wide assortment of rings in various sizes and most of them held some type of stone. He looked at her a little confused because these didn't look anything like wedding bands to him.

She reached inside the case and picked out a few varying sizes. "Maggie told me she found these the other day when she came in to get something for Judy." She picked up one in particular with a green stone. "The pebble got me thinking. If I could put it into a ring, I would, but these rings are actually perfect". She found another smaller ring that matched it and held it up.

He looked at her a little confused. It was a nice green stone but he had no idea where she was going with this. But if he knew Beth, and he did, it was going to be something pretty spectacular because that's just who she was. Finding beauty and meaning in everything around her.

"This is Chinese turquoise. I don't know how this little zoo came by it but it's perfect actually. It ties into the penguin stone story and this particular turquoise is believed to provide protection and peace to your lover while at the same time, ensuring love and fidelity in that bond. I can't imagine anything else for us." She placed the ring on her hand and pushed Daryl's his way so he could try his as well.

Daryl placed the ring on his hand and it slid on easily. It was a wide silver hued tungsten band with one turquoise stone in the middle and looked at Beth's hand, where her turquoise stone rested daintily in a delicate setting, a simple slim, silver band.

"What do you think?" She asked him, looking at him hopefully. She hoped he was going to go for this. She was running out of ideas but this one idea meant more to her than all the others combined.

"I think it's perfect Princess," He reached over and scooped her up in his arms, pressing her body to his. She pulled back to look at him.

"You really like it?" She asked him, beaming that 1000 watt smile at him again.

"'Course I do. Beth you could ask me to wear bread ties on my finger and I'd happily do it. You ain't figured out yet that I'd do anythin' for ya?" He looked at her tenderly and Beth was certain she melted on the spot.

"And I'd do anything for you." She replied and pressed her lips to his, slipping her tongue inside just slightly and felt him respond under her.

Daryl's mouth went dry then, thinking of the ceremony. He pulled away for a minute. "What about vows and shit?" he asked her.

Beth chuckled at Daryl's choice of words. This man was incorrigible sometimes, she thought, but she loved him beyond words.

"Yes vows and shit will be spoken tomorrow," she said sardonically, rolling her eyes at him slightly. "You want the regular vows or you wanna say our own?" She asked him.

"What do you want?" he asked her. Her opinion on this was the only thing that mattered.

"I want to say our own, but I'll go along with whatever you want." Beth said and in that moment he loved her even more for trying to make him more comfortable.

"We'll do our own vows, then" He said and she smiled at him. "Don't know what the hell I'm gonna say yet, but I'll come up with somethin'". He said looking at her. She was so stunning it took his breath away sometimes.

"Who has the girls?" he asked her, his eyes shining with barely contained desire.

"Maggie. She offered. She knew I had to come talk to you and Rick. This time tomorrow we will be Mr. and Mrs. Dixon." Beth remarked and it was all she could do to not skip all around the gift shop they were in but she didn't want to draw attention outside in the courtyard which right now was only a window away.

The skinny jeans she had plastered to her backside did nothing to quell the thoughts running through his imagination either. He reached towards her and looped one finger in a belt loop on either side of her jeans, pulling her towards him and the rings were suddenly forgotten. They stood behind the register and Daryl knew the same thought went through their minds at the same time.

They were locked in a store and no one knew they were there. The kids were being cared for. There would never be a better time.

They were on each other in an instant, Daryl's lips on Beth's and he probed his tongue into her mouth, punishing it, loving it, and punishing it again, his lips teasing and teeth biting. She moaned into his mouth and he swallowed it down on his next breath. Beth reached down grasped the hem of her shirt and as she pulled away, yanked her shirt over her head, baring her breasts to him and he brought his mouth down to lave over one nipple and flicked his tongue over the already hardened peak. He reached up with his hand and lightly pinched her other nipple and heard her gasp. He wanted her now and he reached down and fumbled with the buttons on her jeans. She stepped back from him and put her fingers to the button and while she looked at him, the passion burning in her eyes and threatening to set them both afire, she slowly stripped. She took her times as she slid her pants down her legs, leaving only a pair of white lace panties, the fabric of which was so thin he could see the wetness reflecting off what little light was left in the dim shop.

He watched her strip all while removing his own clothing. Before he knew it, she was turning her back to him and bending over as she looped a finger in each side of her panties and slowly, teasingly slid them over her pert ass, curvy hips and shapely legs until the hit the floor. All Daryl had eyes for was her backside and the way she was bent over exposing her wet lips to him making him want to fuck her senseless. He growled and reached down and grasped his cock in his hand, pumping his hand up and down a few times as she continued to wiggle her ass in his face.

Beth glanced over her shoulder just in time to see Daryl fisting his cock and she wiggled her ass at him again. He dropped to his knees suddenly reaching one hand up to her lower back pressing her over a little further while his other hand stroked over the curve of her ass cheek and teasing his finger along the crack. This was turning him on more than about anything else they had ever done, including the other night when they had sex with all the mirrors in the dressing room.

He wanted nothing more than to bury his tongue deep into her pussy. He reached up and grasped one cheek in each palm and spread them apart and she shifted her upturned ass into his face as he plunged his tongue deep into her, hearing her moan loudly. He guided her gently to her knees so he could access her better and knelt behind her, putting his tongue back to her now dripping center, lapping her juices. He decided that nothing tasted as sweet as Beth's pussy. He reached under her with his other hand and as he plunged his tongue in and out of her tight opening, he flicked his finger over her clit, applying a generous amount of pressure. He felt her clenching around his tongue and knew she was about to come apart. He sped up the pace of his fingers and his tongue, driving her right over the brink and his cock twitched against his leg in anticipation of being able to drive himself into her.

Once her orgasm was spent and she was panting still on all fours, he pressed her head to the floor and pumped his cock a couple of times. He moved, lining their bodies up and with one fluid movement, spread her ass apart again gaining better access to her now engorged lips. He groaned as he entered her, feeling her squeeze around him and grunted as he met with resistance, the tip of his dick reaching the end of her tight vault.

Beth was surprised by the quick motion at first and then that was quickly replaced by extreme pleasure. She had never done anything like this before and Daryl was doing it so well she moaned as he entered her, feeling him fill her all the way up. "Daryl," she breathed.

Daryl couldn't get over tight she was still and was even more amazed by the angle and wondered why they hadn't tried it sooner. He pumped himself in and out of her, feeling his balls slap against her ass, relishing the sound of skin slapping against skin and it fueled his pace.

He was wound so tight inside he couldn't even think straight. Her walls were clenching around his again as she cried out in pleasure. "Oh god, Daryl." She exclaimed, giving herself over to her second orgasm and he could feel his coming on, those coils coming unhinged and springing loose, every muscle in his body clenching and unclenching, wave after wave and he cried out on his own. "Beth." He had just enough good sense left to pull out at the last minute, reaching up and grasping himself, fisting his cock, letting the warm sticky liquid spill all over her ass. He collapsed to the floor, pulling her with him. He reached for his shirt and cleaned her off before rolling her over and pulling her to his side. They laid there for a good while, Daryl tracing patterns up and down her arm and Beth sighing contentedly.

"Think we should have waited for our wedding night?" Beth asked, giggling.

He snorted, "Too late now," he said. He had never felt more like a horny teenager than he did in that minute. They had just fucked on the floor of a gift shop.

Beth rolled over to face him, propping her head up on one hand, smiling sweetly at him. Her hair was tousled lightly from their lovemaking session and she had never looked more appealing to him. "You're so fuckin' beautiful." He said as he reached up and ran his hand through her hair as he pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

"I love you Daryl," she said when they pulled apart.

"Love you too, Princess," They laid there for awhile, just relishing the moment. Daryl's mind drifted to the next day. Now about those vows, he thought. He'd always been a man of few words. The world hadn't changed him that much, in that regard, so it was still hard for him to express himself. But he had to try. He was making Beth his wife tomorrow it was the least he could do for the woman he loved more than life itself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope u guys liked this. I am so sorry I have not been able to get to individual replies. But thank you ALL for reading and reviewing. I will get to them. I am trying to balance regular stuff with fandom stuff and adding looking up theories on Beth is not dead has really taken its toll. I promise I will try to do better. I love each and every one of your reviews and kudos!


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The big day!

Rin and Maggie fussed around with Beth's hair, piling it on top of her head and letting it fall this way or that and their faces were screwed up like she was something under a microscope.

"Y'all aren't exactly making me confident you know what you're doin'." Beth complained looking back and forth between the two of them. They were in the dressing room of the shower house and every time Beth glanced to her left at the mirrors she had to suppress a little smile remembering what she and Daryl had in here just a few days ago.

Beth had showered and they had painstakingly curled her hair around their fingers so now it was piled on top of her head the gentle waves cascading down, a waterfall of pale butterscotch. Maggie let her hair fall from her fingers, letting it rest on her shoulders and over her back. She stepped back and put her finger on her chin and then grinned at Rin who was already nodding her head, then they were both grinning like fools.

"Would you two please tell me what you're freakin' out about 'cause you're kinda freakin' me out too." Beth looked back and forth between the two of them anxiously.

Maggie leaned over where Beth was seated on the bench and hugged her. "Oh, Bethie you look beautiful. It really looks best down."

"Stop, you're gonna mess up her make-up." Rin was grinning and Beth looked at her.

"Are you crying?" Beth reached her hand out and placed it on Rin's arm, tugging slightly. Rin looked right at her, her eyes a watery hazel.

Rin nodded and swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, smiling down at Beth. "Don't mind me. I just hope I get this one day. You look beautiful Beth. Daryl is a lucky guy."

"Rin, you will have this one day. I just know it." Beth squeezed Rin's arm before releasing it.

Just then, Mika came bounding into the shower house. "He's ready, he's ready." She was panting as she approached Beth, stopping in a rush. "Oh Momma you look so pretty." Mika's smile was bright as she looked at Beth and her heart just melted.

"Thank you, sweetheart." Beth said, barely able to swallow past the lump in her throat at Mika calling her Momma. "Now, you said they are ready for me?" Mika nodded emphatically and Beth laughed, getting up from the bench, smoothing out the dress Maggie had found in one of the other dorm rooms. She looked in the mirror one last time, smoothing the white fabric her fingers only slightly shaky for the woman who was about to become Mrs. Daryl Dixon, which a year ago Beth would have considered to be not just improbable but impossible.

The dress was a simple cut strapless, fitted at the waist and hip and then flaring out at the thigh in a classic A-line, knee length dress. It was white satin with tiny embroidered silk flowers along the bottom hem. It was a dress fit for a princess and Beth wondered if it had been meant to be a wedding dress or a prom dress. She thought maybe it was fitting that it looked a little like both since she hadn't gotten to go to prom. She found she didn't even care. She was getting ready to be Mrs. Daryl freaking Dixon. That trumped any rite of passage in her book.

There were two knocks on the door, followed by Rick's deep voice, echoing in the room. "Everybody decent?"

Beth called out for him to enter and he stepped inside. "Everyone's ready."

Maggie slipped to her side, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek. "I'll see you in a bit." Beth nodded and Rin squeezed her hand before they both took their leave.

"Is it time?" Mika was bouncing on her heels and Beth thought she had never looked prettier. They had been able to find her a floral print smock dress in the gift shop across from where Beth and Daryl had found their rings.

Beth smoothed her hand down over Mika's braid, knowing it was as perfect as it could be as she'd done the braid herself this morning. Mika had been careful to keep it perfectly intact even though Beth had told her not to worry if some pieces fell down.

Beth looked up at Rick who brought his hands out from behind his back. "You ain't a bride until you have a bouquet".

Beth beamed up at him as he handed her a perfectly gathered dozen pale yellow daffodils. They had just started blooming lately around the zoo with the spell of warm weather they'd been having with approaching spring. She took the bouquet from him and leaned up, pressing a quick kiss to his slightly stubbly cheek. "Thank you Rick. That was very sweet."

"Wish I could take credit for the idea but it was little misses' idea here." Rick looked down at Mika affectionately.

Beth looked to Mika who was positively glowing with pride at her accomplishment. "Momma I heard you talking about the flowers the other day. And Rick is right. You gotta have flowers. Besides isn't somebody supposed to catch them?"

Beth laughed, guiding Mika to the door. "How did you know that?" The little girl couldn't have been more than 5 at the time of the turn.

"I saw it on a movie I watched one time." As Mika looked at the bouquet in Beth's hand, she had that far-off wistful look she sometimes got in remembering her old life. It was the same one they all wore from time to time.

They walked out the door and down the trail and paused at the top before turning the curve on the path that would take them to the courtyard.

Rick stood at her side and held out his arm for her to take. "You ready?" He said, his voice low.

"Yep, ready as I'll ever be." She smiled over at him.

"Well you look beautiful. Daryl is probably down there sweatin' bullets but when he sees you-" Rick stopped as if he had said too much. "He's a lucky guy."

Beth looked at Rick and smiled as they began walking again, Mika throwing out flower petals ahead of them. Beth smiled again. "I keep tellin' everybody. I'm the lucky one."

Daryl stood at the front of all the tables before where they had set up a bunch of chairs for the ceremony. He had never felt more like a fish out of water in his entire life. He kept sneaking nervous glances to the hillside where he knew they would be walking down any minute. Predictably, Maggie and Rin came scurrying down the hill and took their seats on the front row. He caught Maggie's eye and she smiled at him encouragingly. He took a deep breath and nodded in her direction because it was all he could manage at the moment. With all the racket his heart was making, he didn't know how he'd ever hear anything the preacher said. But all he had to do was remember the vows he had written for Beth and he patted the breast pocket of the shirt he had on, sighing when he felt the crinkle in the pocket. He smoothed his hand down the front of the shirt, a light blue buttoned up to the point he was choking but he'd figured it was only one time a guy got married. At least, he knew that was the way he thought about it. The fact that he was able to think about it at all was a true testament to just how changed he had been by a certain blonde.

He was still fighting to steady his breathing as they rounded the turn, Beth a vision as she walked down the hill on Rick's arm and little Mika ahead of them, carefully dropping petals from her tiny hands. As Beth approached, he felt that ball of nervous energy in his gut slowly start to unravel. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she walked up the small aisle they had constructed with the placement of the chairs. He glanced beside him to the preacher, Ray, Rin's uncle whom they had only gotten to meet earlier this morning to go over what type of service they wanted.

From that point on Daryl's eyes were on Beth only. She looked like something out of a dream to Daryl, that white dress hugging her curves and the way her hair fell loose around her shoulders, just like he liked it. All trace of the ponytail and signature braid were gone, replaced by soft silky flaxen waves. Daryl found himself wondering how he was going to be able to keep from running his fingers through it during the ceremony. Beth smiled his way and every bit of fear he might have harbored when he awoke this morning dried right up with her bright as the noonday sun smile.

Beth had never seen Daryl look as handsome as he did right now. She took in his hair, slightly shaggy and she wished she had time to cut it before, but she had kind of grown used to seeing him with the slightly longer locks. She liked the shirt he had picked out and knew as she got closer that the blue in the shirt would bring out the deepest hues in his eyes. She was impressed that it was buttoned all the way up and even more impressed that he had finally shed his disgusting jeans and opted for a nice pair of khakis. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she met his eyes and then she smiled because she just couldn't help but smile when she saw him.

Rick led her to Daryl who held out his hand and she laced her fingers with his. Rick leaned over and hugged them both and Beth could swear that she saw tears in his eyes as he turned away.

They both turned toward Rin's Uncle Ray who was smiling at them warmly. He was in his mid forties and was thin with slightly balding head but he was jovial and Beth couldn't help but like him instantly when they met him. He was full of life and if you didn't know any better you would think him unaware of the fact that there was a veritable war on human nature being waged outside the fences of this zoo.

Beth looked over at Daryl as he squeezed her hand and she squeezed it back and smiled at him warmly. "I love you." She whispered it as he mouthed the words back to her.

"Not just yet guys." Pastor Ray said and everyone chuckled a little, even Daryl. He looked at the two of them and everyone who had gathered there. "Good afternoon."

Everyone replied in unison, "Good afternoon."

"We have all come together today to witness the marriage of Beth and Daryl. It's a rough world we live in now. Finding a love as rare and pure as theirs is, as this is what many of you have told me, is something that should be cherished. Beth and Daryl, you have written your vows to one another and my wish for you is that you cherish one another and the love you cultivate from this day forward. If you cherish one another you will never stray from your love. Beth, Daryl has asked that in timeless tradition, that the lady go first."

Beth smiled over at him, ever her chivalrous knight, feeling so very lucky to be there with him in that moment. She turned and handed her bouquet of flowers to Mika just as there was a rustle in the bushes of the side of the courtyard. Daryl's hand went to his ankle and Rick rose up, gun drawn as they watched Lucky come bounding out of the bushes, bedraggled as ever.

Beth let out a puff of air, feeling her lungs finally start to relax and everyone laughed. Lucky walked over to Carl's cot where Judy was standing up and promptly laid himself at her feet.

"Stupid mutt tryin' to ruin the day." Daryl still couldn't find himself to be mad at the stupid dog. He figured he owed a little somethin' to the mangy hound for helping his stubborn ass get in gear where Beth was concerned. He was grinning as he faced Beth.

She looked at the Pastor who nodded at her. She reached out and Daryl took her hands in his. She cleared her throat willing her voice to be steady. "When we got out together, I didn't know what to think. We had just lost everyone we had ever managed to hang onto. I knew you could take care of me, but I couldn't see past all the pain and grief." She paused as her voice broke a little. Garnering strength from his gaze, she continued.

"Until one day, in a little shack in the middle of nowhere we burned down our pasts and looked forward to the future. When we ran off from the prison that day, I had thought my life was over. Little did I know, my life had just begun. Fate had cast us out together for a reason. And that reason is because I know, for a fact, Daryl Dixon my heart was made for yours. You taught me how to fight. You taught me how to live. You taught me that there was a lot more to keep us going than just blind hope and faith. You taught me that there's also love. And I love you Daryl. I will never love another. There will only ever be you." Beth finished her voice never wavering as she had thought it would. She guessed when it came down to it, she was sure as anything of the words she spoke to him.

Daryl looked at her and his head tilted to the side as she finished. She could tell by looking at him that he was barely keeping it together. He looked up at her, his eyes watery as he gazed into hers. "Shit, Beth." He looked at the pastor quickly who shushed him and smiled. He had never heard anyone speak of him in such a way. Even in the everyday things that him and Beth said to each other, none of them held weight to anything that she had just said. To say he was overwhelmed would be an understatement. He took a deep breath and took the slip of paper from his pocket, glanced at her and crumpled it back into his pocket. If this sweet beautiful slip of a girl could pledge herself to him off the cuff then he wasn't about to pussy out either. He owed her that much. He owed them both that much.

"Beth, I ain't even gonna lie. When we got out together, I was questioning the entire universe thinking I was gonna be taking care of a blubbering female and I was gonna have to bite my tongue to keep from wanting to strangle ya." Daryl looked at her and smirked and she couldn't suppress the laughter from bubbling up as if the situation was reversed she would definitely see what he saw. "But then you just kept at me. You wouldn't back down. You kept telling me to have faith. And that we needed to keep looking for everyone because they were all alive and you knew it in your gut. You had faith when I didn't have any. And you were right because look, they are all here with us." He looked out at his family, the people he had come to love despite himself.

"You talked about all the things I taught you. Well you taught me a lot too. You taught me that it was okay to feel bad about stuff. You taught me that it was okay for a grown man to cry cause it is the end of the fuckin world and we should just feel it all. Before everything out there fell apart out there, I was just driftin' around. I wasn't nobody. I was just existin'. You taught me to live. You taught me that I could have somethin' more than just existin'. Those weeks we were alone were some of the best weeks of my entire life." He glanced around at everyone. "No offense to anyone here." There was light laughter among everyone, mixed in with barely concealed sniffles. "You taught me how to love Beth. I love you. And I vow to protect ya and always be here for ya. There ain't nowhere else I wanna be but here with you and only you. I didn't think I'd ever have anythin' like this, anyone like you. Dixons weren't made for love but damn if you didn't change all that. You once said I'd be the last man standin'. And you might be right, but I know if it's to come true that you are gonna be the last woman standin' right next to me."

Beth sniffed and decided it was no use. She was openly crying now, this man having broken her down making her feel everything into her very marrow, leeching out a love that was so pure and true that her heart ached with it.

Pastor Ray looked at them then and held his hand out for the rings. He took them out of their respective hands and held them up. "This ring used to mean nothing to most of us. People got married in the old world, never giving a thought to the full commitment they were supposed to make, oftentimes thinking they could just get a divorce if it didn't work out. Well, unless I missed my mark, there aren't any fancy lawyers. Now this ring can mean something again. Pledging love, an unbroken circle. Daryl take Beth's ring and repeat after me."

Daryl took the ring and repeated the words the pastor was giving him. "With this ring, I give you everything I have and all that I am from this day forward." Daryl slid the ring on Beth's finger smiling at her, anxious for this to be over with so he could kiss her.

"Now, Beth, take Daryl's ring and repeat after me."

Beth gripped the ring in her fingers and placed it on Daryl's finger waiting to slide it on as she repeated the vows, "With this ring, I give you everything I have and all that I am, from this day forward."

They didn't take their eyes off one another and Beth giggled a little when Daryl mouthed "Are we married yet?"

"I hereby by the power of God and the state of North Carolina, pronounce you husband and wife." Daryl looked over at him expectantly and Ray grinned at him. The bastard was doing this on purpose but he smirked at him nonetheless.

"Daryl you can kiss your bride." The pastor said with a flourish of his hand.

"It's about damn time," he muttered and everyone laughed.

Beth marveled at this man. With God and their whole extended family looking at them, he dropped her hands and moved his hands up to her face, pulling her to him and pressing his lips to hers, softly, teasingly and she melted. He finally broke the kiss and Beth stood there her head spinning slightly.

"Ladies and gentleman, I present Mr. and Mrs. Daryl Dixon." The pastor announced and everyone in the courtyard erupted in applause and Beth heard a loud cat call from Glenn.

Daryl reached over and took Beth's hand looking out at everyone knowing that he had never been happier than in that moment. He looked over at her just before they were flanked on either side by their friends and family. "How long before we can be alone?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her and Beth giggled.

"Don't worry, I'll think of somethin'." She winked at him and they turned to greet everyone.

Maggie was crying openly and Glenn was standing right beside her. "That was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."

She hugged them and Beth cried, "Stop it Mags, Rin is gonna get us both for ruinin' my make up."

Rin spoke up then as she sidled up to Maggie. "I can't exactly be mad at something that I can't seem to help doing myself." She grinned sheepishly and gestured to the wet tracks down her cheeks.

Everyone was downright happy and offered their congratulations. They cut a cake for the second time in a week and Beth thought how lucky they were to get to experience such a treat in a short span of time. Before the turn, something like that would have been taken completely for granted.

Beth looked over and noticed Carl then. He was watching everyone and even from here she could tell that his color was returning more with each day. She excused herself and wasn't surprised when Daryl followed after her. She reached Carl's cot and sat down on the chair beside it, the one Rick had occupied during the wedding. He was off chasing Judith at the moment, Michonne standing off to the side and laughing at her antics.

"Hey there, you feelin' better yet?" Beth said, placing her hand on Carl's arm. She felt Daryl move behind her and and place his hands on her shoulders, kneading lightly.

Carl looked at her and Beth noticed some of the light was coming back in them. "Mostly," he said before continuing. "You look real pretty Beth." He looked to Daryl. "Congrats." He grinned at Daryl and Daryl ducked his head smiling. Carl's eyes were warm. "I'm glad we found you guys. This place seems like it's okay." Beth could tell that he was trying to keep the hope out of his voice. Once upon a time, they had thought another place would be okay. Little did they know that they would lose more from that place than ever before.

"It's a lot safer than the prison was. Besides, we won't make the same mistakes as before." Beth reassured him and he smiled at her, the first real smile she had seen in him since his accident.

They talked to Carl for a little while longer before Bob deemed it was time for him to nap again and they moved his cot back to the temporary hospital room. After a while their little "reception" was winding down and Maggie came up to whisper in her ear. "It's time for you to throw the bouquet and go have your honeymoon." Maggie wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and Beth rolled her eyes but secretly she couldn't wait to get Daryl back to their apartment.

She grabbed her bouquet off the table where she had left it and everyone gathered together. Beth turned around and counted to three. She turned to find a very surprised Rin holding the bouquet that had literally fallen right into her lap where she sat off to the side away from the ones who had gathered to catch it. Beth's eyes met hers and Beth winked at her. Rin blushed furiously but Beth saw a hint of a smile ghost her lips before she turned to smile demurely at Austin. He'd been staring at her the whole time and it warmed Beth's heart that two other people were managing to salvage something good out of this wretched world.

She turned back to her husband then and realized just then that they had not had a moment alone since they were declared husband and wife. Everyone was otherwise engaged, except for Maggie who was waving them off with a brushing motion of her fingers.

Daryl took Beth's hand and they took off in a fast walk until they were around the top bend of the trail to their apartment. As soon as they were out of line of sight, Daryl tugged on her hand and spun her around, his lips on hers in an instant. As her husband kissed her like every woman deserved to be kissed it reminded Beth very much of that kiss they had shared long ago outside in the rain. It seemed a lifetime ago but that's the way it was with love. It made time speed up and slow down and stay exactly the same all at once.

He broke off the kiss. "Gonna be doin' more of that Mrs. Dixon." Daryl said gruffly, his forehead pressed against hers.

"I should certainly hope so. It's our weddin' night, after all, Mr. Dixon." Beth couldn't help the giggle that slipped past her lips.

He buried his face in her neck and bent down at the same time, one arm grasping behind her legs, hoisting her up and holding her against his chest, feeling her wind her arms up around his neck." His motivation was slightly similar to the other time he had carried her like this, but it held a different connotation now that they were together. Before when he had picked her up and carried her into the kitchen like a groom would a bride, his reasoning had been two-fold. For one thing he had an insatiable desire to touch her and the other was that he couldn't wait to show her the meal he had carefully laid out for them.

Tonight as he carried the brand new Mrs. Dixon across the threshold of their apartment, he still had that insatiable need to touch her and he was definitely anxious to get that dress off her and love her like she deserved to be loved. Like he longed to love her. But there was something else, he thought, as he set her down, her feet planting firmly on the floor and he kicked the door closed. It was the fact that he was anxious to start their life together. Their new married life.

Daryl was many things to many people. He was a friend to Rick, Glenn and many others but Beth was his best friend. He was a protector of many and he guessed you could add Daddy to his many titles since that's what she'd started calling him lately her sweet little voice lilting Daddy Daryl. He was a brother and still was when he considered what Rick had said to him just the day before. But now he could add one more title to that mix and he was more proud of that one than anything else; husband. He had not come to accept it easily that others depended on him or more that he had come to depend on them. But being Beth's husband was something he was proud of. And he was determined to make her just as proud. It would take every single minute of the rest of their lives together, however long that might be, but he was up for the challenge. After all, Dixons never backed away from a challenge.

He had never thought in a million years he would have a life worth living, but with Beth he did. With Beth, he had the life he never even knew he wanted. With Beth, he had everything. His whole life was wrapped in fiber of their love. And for that he would forever be grateful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, what did you think? I am not sure where I am going from here with this story. It's kinda perfect where it is but I feel like it needs something else.

**Author's Note:**

> I am posting the first five chapters tonight too see how this does. Let me know if you all like this. :)


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